


Rewrite the Script

by pouty_hoseok



Series: Royals [3]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alpha Choi Soobin, Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Alpha Kang Taehyun, Alpha Kim Namjoon | RM, Alpha Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Beta Huening Kai, Boys In Love, Boys in Skirts, Choi Beomgyu-Centric, Cute, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Mentioned Kim Seokjin | Jin, Mpreg, Multi, Not Beta Read, Omega Choi Beomgyu, Omega Choi Yeonjun, Pregnant Choi Beomgyu, Prince Choi Yeonjun, Protective Kang Taehyun, Soft Choi Beomgyu, Soft Kang Taehyun, Sweetheart Choi Beomgyu, it's soft uwu, kind of, kind of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:02:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24490270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouty_hoseok/pseuds/pouty_hoseok
Summary: Beomgyu knows the story. He’s the son of a prostitute and he’ll follow in his Appa’s footsteps. And, well, if he happens to fall in love with a noble or a certain prince, then he’ll be dead as soon as the king and queen find out.He just wishes he could rewrite the script.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Series: Royals [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732594
Comments: 26
Kudos: 122





	Rewrite the Script

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, gods  
> WARNING- there isn't descriptive underage sex but it's definitely mentioned. Beomgyu is a prostitute. If that makes you uncomfortable, don't read it!

The story of the peasant who falls in love with the noble or royal (which, according to every story book Beomgyu’s ever read is far better), the ending is perfect and happy. Beomgyu knows it’s a load of bogus, but hey. A lot of people like imagining that the people living in the slums are happy and saved by those on their pedestals and high horses. 

Honestly? Beomgyu wishes it was true. He wishes whoever impregnated his father, most likely some noble with lots of money, would come forward and at least help pay for some of the expenses warranted by a little boy. But, well, life hardly ever ends the way a fairytale does, and that’s why Beomgyu’s father was sixteen when he gave birth and why he’s been raised by prostitutes and why he almost cries the first time he gets a dress that’s never been worn before. Well, the last one isn’t uncommon where he lives. Hardly anyone has clothes that were bought for them and only them. He cries nonetheless and is desperate to show it off to everyone he sees. 

_Everyone_. 

And that’s how the son of a prostitute meets a prince. Beomgyu is running through the marketplace, small and hidden from view of the adults, when he crashes into someone a little shorter than him. It’s clear from a single look that he doesn’t belong here. 

“Who are you?” Beomgyu says. The boy has wide eyes and looks like he’s been crying. He wipes his tears away with a pudgy hand. 

“Taehyun.”

“Um, no, my name’s Beomgyu,” the little boy says, crossing his arms. The other boy frowns. 

“No, I’m Taehyun,” he says, pointing at himself. “I never said you weren’t Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu rolls his eyes. Taehyun, in his sparkly clothes that look very soft, seems very annoying. 

“Why are you crying?” 

“I’m not crying.” Beomgyu flicks his forehead and points at the tear-streaks on his cheeks. 

“I think you’re crying,” he says softly. Taehyun frowns at him. And then, because, for some reason, Beomgyu can make people cry a lot, his tears start pouring again. Which, originally, wasn’t Beomgyu’s plan. 

“Don’t cry!” he says. Taehyun cries harder. “I’m- I’m sorry!”

“I want Yeonjunie-Hyung!” the boy says, drawing a lot more attention than Beomgyu would like. Shoot, now he’s going to get in trouble. Appa’s not going to be happy with him. 

“Taehyun!” a voice calls through the crowd. Beomgyu sees someone approaching and, afraid of getting in trouble, he dashes away. He doesn’t tell anyone about the encounter, not even his father when he asks what he did. 

To be honest, he can’t say he expects to see Taehyun again. But he does, though under different circumstances. This time, Taehyun isn’t crying. Beomgyu runs up to him because, well, that’s what little kids do when they see their friends. 

“Taehyun!” he says. The other boy perks up at the mention of his name and turns to face Beomgyu, grinning. 

“Beomgyu!” They rush at each other but Beomgyu backs up as soon as he sees Taehyun’s clothes. They’re _nice_ clothes, the ones worn for special events and on birthdays. He doesn’t dare touch them with his dirt-stained hands. Taehyun frowns when he stops. 

“What are you doing?” he says. 

“You’re wearing nice clothes,” Beomgyu says, gesturing at the expensive materials. “I don’t want to dirty them.” 

“These aren’t nice clothes,” Taehyun says. He pulls at the fabric, still frowning. “These are my everyday clothes.” Beomgyu can feel his eyes bugging out of his head. 

“What?” he demands. “I don’t have any clothes like that!” And, well, after one look at his own attire he’s sure it’s obvious. Beomgyu’s wearing a hand-me-down while it’s very clear that Taehyun’s clothes have been tailored to fit him. Even his shoes are nice!

“I- um, I have extras? I can bring some next time?”

“Next time?” Beomgyu says, tilting his head. Taehyun shrugs.

“Well, yeah. We’re friends, aren’t we? We’ve met before and we can recognize each other. But, um, how old are you?” Beomgyu frowns and counts on his fingers. 

“I’m seven!” he finally says. Taehyun’s wearing a playful grin. 

“I’m six!” 

“I’m your Hyung!” Beomgyu says. He squeals and picks Taehyun up, having forgotten about his clothes. 

Needless to say, he sends the other boy home with some very dirty clothes. But Beomgyu’s happiness at a new friend (one that’s his age, too!) overcomes his guilt when he thinks of the pretty clothes Taehyun wore. They weren’t what Beomgyu had in his closet. He had pants and a shirt and shoes and even jewelry. The only people Beomgyu’s ever seen wearing jewelry are his aunties and uncles and his Appa. And they don’t do it often, either. To them, jewelry is part of working, or so Beomgyu’s been told. His Auntie Hana once gave him a shiny little bead made of glass, which Beomgyu later pushed a piece of string through. He ended up losing it, though, and Appa has tried to minimize the amount of nice things he wears when he’s on his own. Which, as he’s grown older, has become a more frequent occurrence. Though, Beomgyu supposes he wouldn’t have met Taehyun if that didn’t happen. 

True to his word, Taehyun brings him some of his clothes the next time they meet. Beomgyu ends up washing his hands several times under a nearby water pump before carefully accepting them, his eyes wide. 

“I have to give you something!” he says, the realization hitting him like an avalanche. Taehyun immediately shakes his head. 

“No, it’s fine,” he says, but Beomgyu is adamant. He knows how important it is to thank people when they give you things. 

“Come with me!” he says, grabbing Taehyun’s hand. The younger boy is a little shorter but he doesn’t seem to have any trouble keeping up, and they run through the marketplace. Beomgyu is good at slithering through crowds and dodging around people, though Taehyun could definitely use some practice. 

The meadow is always the most beautiful in the spring. It’s a collage of blooming flowers and Beomgyu excitedly shows Taehyun the sight. He runs and squeals as he lands in the grass, laughing. Taehyun stands at the edge, staring with wide eyes. 

“Well?” Beomgyu says from his spot. “C’mon!” Taehyun takes a few steps forward before moving back, shaking his head. 

“I don’t want to get my clothes dirty,” he says. Beomgyu sits up, tilting his head. His dress has a few stray pieces of grass in it and his hair problem has a few twigs tangled in, but he’s not _dirty_. He stands up and walks over. 

“You won’t get dirty, Hyunnie,” he says. But Taehyun makes it clear that he won’t be joining him, so Beomgyu grabs some of the prettier flowers and rushes over. Taehyun stares at them and Beomgyu shoves them in the younger boy’s hands before grabbing his clothes. 

“Beomgyu!” someone calls. 

“Bye!” the older boy says before running off. He finds his Appa standing near the town square with his arms crossed over his chest, a small shawl draped over his shoulders. Beomgyu leaps at him, squealing happily. 

“Appa!” he says. 

“Hey, little bear,” the man says, ruffling his son’s hair. “What’d you do today?” Beomgyu clings to him and looks up, grinning. 

“I-”

“Hey!” Beomgyu and his father stop. There’s a guard behind them, Taehyun on his horse. “Where did you get those clothes?” He’s pointing at the clothes from Taehyun. 

“I gave them to him!” Taehyun says. Beomgyu’s eyes are wide and he’s quaking with fear as he moves to stand behind his father, using the older Omega’s skirts to hide. A hand rests on his shoulder. 

“Be quiet!” the guard snaps. He gets down from his horse and nears the father and son duo. “Give me those clothes, boy!” Beomgyu is shaking like a leaf, paralyzed with fear. Appa squeezes his shoulder and Beomgyu looks up. The man tilts his head toward the guard. Beomgyu pulls them out from behind his back and hands them over, his hands shaking. The guard grabs his wrist and yanks him forward, looming over the small boy. Beomgyu’s heart is beating faster than ever before as he stares up at the man, still speechless. 

“Give it back to him!” Taehyun’s jumped down from the horse and his arms are crossed over his chest, a pout on his face. Beomgyu shakes his head, pleading with him to drop it. 

Weirdly, the clothes end up back in Beomgyu’s hands. The people around him still stare as he’s brought back home. 

“How did you know that boy?” Appa says as soon as they get inside. The door is closed and locked. His back is to Beomgyu as the little boy twists his fingers. 

“Bumped into him,” he mumbles. His teeth, though he’s young, catch on his lip and draw blood. 

“You bumped into him.” Beomgyu nods. “Do you have any idea who he is?” Beomgyu shakes his head, then remembers his father can’t see him.

“No,” he says meekly. 

“That was one of the princes, Beomgyu,” his father says. It sounds like he’s about to cry. “Do you know what would’ve happened to you if he hadn’t been there?”

“N-no.”

“That guard would’ve taken you away. And then I’d never see you again. Now, the next time you see that boy, you will give those clothes back. You won’t wear them, you won’t touch them- you’ll give them back to His Highness the next time you meet. Better yet, you can give them to a guard. Because, as soon as they’re found in our possession and there’s no Taehyun around, we’re in trouble. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Appa,” Beomgyu says softly. He tries not to cry. 

“Oh, Beommie,” the man says, turning around and pulling his son into his arms. He presses Beomgyu to his chest. “I know it’s hard. But you can’t get involved with people like that, alright? They’re dangerous, dangerous people.” Beomgyu wants to protest, wants to defend his friend, but he’s too scared of what his father said was to come if Taehyun hadn’t been there. 

He hardly sleeps that night. The next day, Beomgyu stares at the ground as he hands the clothes to a guard, running away as soon as they’re free from his fingertips. He stays as close to his father as he can, though he stays in his shared room with the man whenever he’s working. He doesn’t go outside as often, too scared of running into Taehyun.

Of course, even fear could only rein Beomgyu in for so long. And so, he ventures out of the brothel and walks around the marketplace, staring wide-eyed at all of the products out to buy. He doesn’t dare touch any of them, though, in fear of dirtying them and being forced to buy what he can’t afford. 

“Beomgyu!” someone calls and the Omega knows that voice like the back of his hand. He looks over his shoulder nonetheless before squeaking and running off. Taehyun chases after him and Beomgyu remembers the little sliver of information about the other boy. He heads toward the field, trying not to trip on his dress as he does so. 

Standing amongst the grass and watching as Taehyun agitatedly paces around outside isn’t as fun as Beomgyu thought it would be. And, let’s be honest, he didn’t think it would be fun in the first place. He thought it’d be super-mega boring, but this is just sad. Taehyun finally plops down and closes his eyes, sighing. Beomgyu frowns and steps forward, curious. Two tufts of fur pop out of Taehyun’s head and they look like ears. The older boy yelps but Taehyun doesn’t notice as his body slowly morphs into that of a wolf. He leaps into the field and heads toward Beomgyu, who then remembers his original reason for being there. Squealing, he begins to run through the grass as Taehyun chases him. They waste plenty of time doing it until Beomgyu hears Taehyun’s name being called. The younger boy bounds out of the field and turns back into, well, a boy, waving over his shoulder as he scrambles away. Beomgyu chases after him and then stops when he sees him getting on a horse with a pouting blue haired-boy and a tall dimpled boy. Taehyun shyly waves again when no one’s looking and Beomgyu waves back, tilting his head. The boy with the blue hair is wearing the finest dress he’s ever seen but he doesn’t seem to like it one bit, his arms crossed over his chest. Unlike Taehyun, he doesn’t seem to be afraid of getting his clothes wet. There’s a smudge of dirt on his cheek and a few twigs in his hair. The tallest of the three boys looks tired as if it’s a situation he frequently finds himself in. Beomgyu would’ve followed them if not for his Appa calling him. 

“Hey, there,” the Omega says as he picks his son up. He makes a pointed effort to keep Beomgyu turned away from the boys on the horse. 

“Hi,” Beomgyu says, trying to look over his shoulder to catch a final glimpse of Taehyun. 

“How was your day, bear?” 

“I went and played in the fields,” he says. His father hums. 

“You didn’t talk to any strangers, right? Did anyone yell at you?” 

“Nuh-uh.”

“Good job.” They reach the brothel and head in, Beomgyu now walking beside his father. 

“Who’s that, Choi?” a strange, gruff voice says. Beomgyu’s only ever heard it from behind closed doors. His father stiffens, pushing Beomgyu behind his skirts. 

“No one,” Appa says. Even Beomgyu can smell how his scent is sour with fear. “I found him outside.”

“Did you now?” The Omega nods, his eyes downcast. 

“Yes, sir.” There’s a pause and Beomgyu peeks out from behind his father. 

“You can keep him as long as he doesn’t cause any trouble.” Appa seems to release a little happy chirp before he covers his mouth with his hands. He bows his head. 

“Thank you, thank you so much!” he says. “Oh, he’ll be the best-behaved pup in the world! I swear!” The man shrugs. Appa picks Beomgyu up and whirls him around, grinning. He hugs him to his chest, nuzzling him. 

“Appa,” Beomgyu whines, kicking as his father begins to pepper sloppy kisses all over his face.

“Did you hear that, bear? I get to keep you!”

“Well, duh,” Beomgyu says. His father pinches him and sets him down to face the man. 

“Say thank you, Beommie.”

“Thank you, sir,” Beomgyu says, bowing. His father yanks him back as soon as he stands upright and whisks him away. 

“You don’t ever talk to that man, Beomgyu, understand?” he says as soon as they’re in the small bedroom they share with his Auntie Hanna. Beomgyu nods. 

“Why not, though, Appa?” he says. “He seems nice.” The man shakes his head. 

“He’s not nice, but you have to respect bad people sometimes, okay? Don’t you ever- and I mean it, you’d better remember this- don’t ever argue with him. If he tells you to bow, you do it, okay? If I tell you to say thank you, do it. Whatever I tell you to do around him, you listen to me. Don’t ever make it seem like you’re anything less than perfectly obedient.”

“What’s that mean?”

“You follow all of the rules.” Beomgyu nods, gulping down his guilt. He already broke a rule by playing with Taehyun today. 

Of course, in the future, that’s going to be a very minor scrape. 

-

He grows closer with Taehyun as the years pass. He’s nine when they’re almost caught by Yeonjun, Soobin having decided he’s too busy ogling the oldest prince. It becomes a habit for one of them to sneak into the marketplace or the palace gardens and to climb as high as he can until Taehyun finds him. Then, they play and laugh and risk their lives on the palace rooftop. But it’s okay because they’re happy and there’s nothing to worry about. 

Until Beomgyu turns thirteen. The year he has his first heat, his father falls sick. Beomgyu needs medicine and now he’s thirteen- he should be able to get a job. But he doesn’t have any Alpha family members to vouch for him so he’s lost, begging for work. Until an opportunity arises. 

“Take your father’s place,” the owner of the brothel, Kang-Dae, tells him as he prepares to leave. Beomgyu stops in his tracks and looks over his shoulder. He pulls the hood of the shawl off of his head and moves to sit down. 

“Would you pay for his expenses?” he says. When Kang-Dae moves to say something, Bemgyu interrupts and says, “Everything? All of it?”

“You’ll be expensive,” Kang-Dae muses, probably calculating the costs of Beomgyu selling himself as another one of the whores. He’s young, of course he’ll be. 

“I’ll do it, please, just pay for them. But I’ll only do it after they’re all paid for.” 

“No,” Kang-Dae says. “You either do the job or you don’t. I’ll pay when you’ve made enough money to do so.” Beomgyu doesn’t know how long that’ll take. 

“What if he’s dead by then?” he says. “What if- what if he doesn’t make it?” Kang-Dae shrugs. 

“Not my problem,” he says. “I’ll have gotten rid of him and I’ll have a new breadwinner, even better than him.” Beomgyu’s hands curl into fists. 

“If I do it, will you pay?”

“Yeah, guess so.” 

Beomgyu’s never been this scared. Even when he met the guard when he had the clothes Taehyun gave him. 

“Fine.”

He tells his Appa that night and the man starts to cry. Even while he’s sick and can’t get out of bed, Beomgyu manages to break his father’s heart so badly that he sobs so loudly it wakes Aunt Hanna. 

“What is, Dae?” Appa only sobs harder when she asks. “Bear?” she says to Beomgyu, still using his nickname. 

“I got a job,” he mumbles, picking at his dress. 

“That’s- no,” Hanna says. She stands up, shaking her head. “Beomgyu, you’re not doing it.” 

“One night should be enough to pay for it!” Beomgyu says. “I already said I would- what happens if I don’t show up tomorrow?”

“Nothing, because I’ll send you away. We all-”

“No,” Beomgyu says, crossing his arms. “I’m not leaving Appa. He’ll die if I don’t do it.”

“Beom, let me die then!” his father says. “I’ve spent- we’ve all spent so much time trying to keep you from this- gods, you’re going to end up like me! You don’t want to end up like me!” 

“Am I a bad thing, Appa? Do you wish you’d never had me?” Beomgyu says, bristling. His father’s faint scent of warm sheets and honey grows angry with a spike of pepper.

“In this life? Yes! I didn’t want to bring a child into a world like this!” Beomgyu glares at his father and fights valiantly against his tears. 

“Fine! Great, you don’t want me! I’m still going to do it, though, because, believe it or not, I love you!” 

“Bear,” Auntie Hanna says, walking over and pulling Beomgyu into her arms, “he doesn’t mean that. He just means he wishes he could provide more for you. All parents wish that.”

“May-Maybe I wanna provide for him,” Beomgyu says around a sob. 

“You’re my son,” Appa says from the bed. “I provide for you.” 

“Appa!” Beomgyu says, pulling away from Hanna. “I’m thirteen! I’m growing up in a brothel! You can’t shield me from the lifestyle forever! It’s not like I’m getting out! We don’t live in a fucking fairytale!” 

“I can try,” his father says. Father and son face off. “I’ll save up as much as I can to send you to school-”

“I couldn’t ever catch up,” Beomgyu says. “Appa, I’m nearly illiterate!”

“You’re a smart kid,” Dae-Jung says. “You could make it. You _will_ make it.”

“I can do that later,” Beomgyu says. “You’re more important.”

“I’m not. I refuse to take any medication-”

“I’m doing it, Appa!” Beomgyu says. “You can’t stop me.” His father drops his head to his hands and begins to cry again. All of Beomgyu’s instincts beg him to comfort his father but he shoves them to the far depths of his mind as he climbs into bed. It’s not even a bed- just a pile of blankets and a pillow. Beomgyu doesn’t really mind. 

He gets up with a sense of dread weighing him down. Beomgyu gets dressed and tries to make himself look as good as he can, as he wants to get this over with as soon as possible. His heart pounds against his chest and he slowly follows Hanna out of the room, into a lounge where they wait. 

As expected, as soon as it opens and Beomgyu is spotted, all of the Alphas are diving in his direction. “Fresh meat” as Kang-Dae said. The owner of the brothel picks out the highest bidder and sends Beomgyu off, the Omega shaking like a leaf. He follows slowly, carrying the heavy knowledge that he’ll never be the same after this. 

It hurts so, so much. Beomgyu is crying the entire time and everything hurts. He cries and cries and then he’s left there and he can’t stop crying because why does it _hurt_ so fucking much, why, why, why?

When he returns to his Appa, he breaks down in tears. Hanna had to carry him back to his room and then she helped him take a bath before wrapping him in a towel and hushing his cries. It still hurts and he’s not sure if there will ever be a time when it doesn’t. 

He doesn’t see Taehyun for a long time. When he does, the smell of Alphas rubbing themselves all over him is so strong even twelve-year-old, unpresented Taehyun can smell it. 

“Hyung,” he whines, “I don’t like this smell.” 

Immediately, Beomgyu wishes he smelled differently. Ah, yes. His sort of maybe very inconvenient crush on Taehyun. His solution is to repress it as much as possible because they both know very, very well that the younger of their little duo is going to get married and he’ll have the heirs of the kingdom, blah blah blah. Honestly and obviously, Beomgyu would rather not think of that. He likes the Taehyun who smiles at him, who laughs so sweetly, who makes fun of him but doesn’t mind his weirdness, who’s so stone-cold and serious to anyone who doesn’t know him but a total goof around Beomgyu. That’s the Taehyun Beomgyu likes best. 

(He’s thirteen. He’s not going to say the “L” word about Taehyun.)

“Sorry, work stuff,” Beomgyu says, picking at a thread in his dress. Taehyun sighs and leans his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes. Beomgyu brushes his fingers through dark brown locks, humming to himself. 

“Is your father getting better?” Taehyun says, perking up at the good news. Beomgyu shrugs. 

“I’m still saving up,” he says. It’s a lie. The first man left so much money that Beomgyu bought everyone new soaps after buying the medicine. 

“I can help you,” Taehyun says, always, for some reason, eager to please Beomgyu. The Omega laughs and ruffles his hair, shaking his head and fighting the blush threatening to appear on his cheeks. 

“S’okay,” he says. It really isn’t, but Beomgyu doesn’t want to risk receiving money from the heir to the throne himself. And, while he hasn’t yet presented as an Alpha, Beomgyu is sure that’ll be his rank. Despite being shorter than Beomgyu, Taehyun carries this air of authority about him that just screams “Alpha!” It might be due to the fact that he’s been raised to become one his entire life, but Beomgyu doesn’t know. Still, he’s quite sure his friend will end up as the “superior” rank. 

“What are you doing for work?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu tenses up beside him. 

“Nothing much,” he says, yet another lie. Gods, he’s really dishing them out today, isn’t he?

“I got you something.”

“I told you to stop with that.” 

“But I wanted to. It made me think of you when I saw it.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes as Taehyun produces a pretty box from his pocket, handing it to the older boy. Beomgyu opens it, still shaking his head.

But even he can admit how beautiful the [ earrings ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/218213544431412871/) inside are. Golden hooks connect to small water lilies and small circles of pale jade. Beomgyu picks one up and stares at it in awe, his eyes wide as saucers. He’s hit, not for the first time, with the realization of how much richer Taehyun is than he. 

“When would I ever wear these, Hyun?” Beomgyu says, trying to find an excuse to give them back. Taehyun shrugs. 

“You can wear them right now.” The answer shocks Beomgyu and he looks over at the younger, tilting his head and trying to hide his shock. 

“But- what if I lose them?” 

“You won’t lose them, Hyung. You don’t lose things.”

_He’s right._

“Well, fine. But this is the last thing you can give me!” Taehyun laughs and his eyes sparkle in a way that promises the exact opposite. Beomgyu puts the earrings in and tilts his head. He revels in the way the jade feels when it brushes the skin of his neck, cool and smooth against a heated surface. 

“They look really nice,” Taehyun says softly. Beomgyu looks away.

“Thanks,” he mumbles. The other boy reaches out and touches one of the circles of jade, his eyes even wider than usual. Beomgyu pushes his hand away. 

“You’re so weird,” he says, hoping it can disguise how pleased he is with his new gift and the compliments that came with it. Taehyun shrugs and leans against his shoulder again, staring at the earring with wide, mesmerized eyes. It makes Beomgyu want to laugh. 

That night, as he heads home with the box tucked into his skirts, Beomgyu realizes that he might be in a lot more trouble than he originally thought. 

-

He meets Yeonjun after Taehyun presents as an Alpha. It was summer when he gave Beomgyu the earrings, and he’s turned thirteen only to be chucked into his chambers to live out his heat. Beomgyu runs out to watch the parade and sees the carriage with the pleasure Omegas. 

He’s perhaps a little jealous. But there’s no time for such a feeling when he sees none other than Prince Yeonjun and _what the hell is he doing here?_

He grabs the prince (not a good idea) and shoves a shawl into his hands.

“Excuse-”

“Sshh!” Beomgyu hisses, pressing a finger to his lips. He tugs him under the awning of one of the market stalls, staring with wide eyes. 

“What’s going on?” 

Beomgyu has to be careful. He still trips over Taehyun’s name. 

“It’s for Tae- for Prince Taehyun’s congratulations party.” Yeonjun, someone Beomgyu should’ve known was a skeptic and wouldn’t be pleased with Taehyun receiving a party while he didn’t, raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. 

“They didn’t do this for me.” 

Beomgyu doesn’t even think as he says, “That’s because people care more about an Omega’s virginity tha their self-worth issues.” The slep carriage gets closer and he points at it. “See the slep carriage? Those are the bed warmers for him.” If the thought makes him uncomfortable, then it’s obvious that he’ll feel the same way about talking about it. It’s clear Yeonjun feels the same. 

“What? Taehyun’s thirteen!” Beomgyu shrugs. 

“It’s not like anyone cares,” he says, sighing. “The best thing we can hope for is that the one he ends up is his age.”

“No, I won’t let them,” Yeonjun says. He begins to walk toward the carriage. “I’m gonna sabotage the carriage.” Beomgyu would laugh if he didn’t care about drawing attention to himself. 

“You?” he says. The prince glares at him as he begins to tuck his skirts into his belt. 

“No, that idiot over there.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “Yes, me! Who else?” Beomgyu looks up and notices a familiar rabbit mask he’s seen wandering around the city and on those posters for criminals. 

“Highness, there’s no need,” he says. Yeonjun frowns at him. 

“Wha-” 

And then, of course, an arrow chooses to cut between them and send the leading carriage down. Yeonjun is slack-jawed and wide-eyed and Beomgyu grabs his hand weaving through the now screaming crowd. He looks over his shoulder and sees the bright blue head of hair has, unfortunately, been revealed. 

“Shit, your hood,” he says. Beomgyu cranes his neck and he can see the White Rabbit heading in their direction. He grabs Yeonjun’s hand and tugs him behind a stall, barely missing the assassin as he passes by.

“The White Rabbit?!” he demands. “What’s he doing here?” Beomgyu watches as the gears turn in his head and he decides rather quickly that he won’t like whatever the prince comes up with. 

“Taehyun!” he cries. He pulls away from Beomgyu and begins running, leaving the younger Omega to watch. He isn’t given an opportunity to run after him, though, as the crowd sweeps him away. 

He visits Taehyun that night. Sneaks into the garden, clambers up the wall, even in his dress. And the other boy is already there, smiling softly as his eyes swallow up the stars. 

“How was it?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun shrugs. 

“In my opinion, I thought it quite boring,” he says. “Yeonjun-Hyung saw Soobin-Hyung, so I suppose he didn’t hate it as much as I did. It would’ve been much more enjoyable had you been there.”

Beomgyu’s heart sings. He shoves a piece of the thought of rejection into its mouth. 

“You know I can’t,” he says instead, though it’s not needed. Taehyun shrugs and tugs him inside, showing him some of the presents he got. 

“I, um, I asked my nurse to get you a dress,” he says shyly and Beomgyu looks up at him with wide eyes. Taehyun scratches the back of his neck, chewing on his lower lip. “I didn’t quite know your sizes so it’s a lot of guesswork.” 

“How did you ever excuse getting a dress?” Beomgyu says, flicking him. Taehyun shrugs. 

“When you’re heir to the throne, people are bending over backward to please you.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Beomgyu teases. Taehyun blushes and looks away. He reaches under his bed and pulls out a box. It has a pretty silk ribbon tied around it and Beomgyu pulls it with shaking hands, undoing the bow. He knows that he’ll want to keep the dress even more than ever before as soon as he sees the way Taehyun’s eyes light up. 

It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. The palest blue colors the [ dress ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/562387072220093202/), and the torso has a layer of lace (still the same color) stretched over it. A layer of tulle that looks like an illusion sleeve but it hangs over the rest of the dress has pretty little flowers dancing on it, and Beomgyu reaches out to touch them. Around the waist is a smooth, thin ribbon with a perfect bow. The skirt is also made of tulle and it feels silky against his fingertips, making Beomgyu mourn because he knows he’ll never be able to wear it. 

“I know what you’re going to say,” Taehyun says from his spot on the bed, “but can you- may you please try it on? I’ll close my eyes.” Beomgyu bites his lip. 

“Fine,” he says. There’s a bathroom and he goes to change in there, stopping when he sees himself in the mirror. Beomgyu frowns, looking down at his body. It’s riddled in bruises and definitely malnourished, his ribs visible beneath his skin. Beomgyu pushes his hair back and splashes his face with water, then changes. It’s not exactly right but it’s close enough that he’s comfortable. He shifts, staring at his reflection. He feels out of place in Taehyun’s _bathroom_. 

“Hyung!” Taehyun’s voice calls from the bedroom. Beomgyu gives himself one last disapproving stare before he turns around and heads out. 

“Do you like it?” Taehyun says. 

“Of course I do,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun grins and stands up. 

“You look really good, Hyung,” he says. The words leave a bittersweet feeling in Beomgyu’s chest. He smiles and curtsies, spinning so his friend can see the dress. Taehyun’s eyes are starry and wide and wanting in a way that Beomgyu’s never seen people look at him before. 

It’s so, so dangerous. 

“Thank you,” he says. Taehyun stands up and he gets so close and it makes Beomgyu’s heart pound even faster as a delicate hand tucks a lock of hair behind his ear. He looks up at Taehyun with wide eyes, silently asking what he’s doing. And then, Taehyun steps back and smiles at him. 

“It was bothering me,” he says. Beomgyu nods, still speechless. Taehyun is still smiling at him.

“Congratulations,” Beomgyu blurts. “Um, I have- Appa-” Taehyun nods. 

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry, here’s the box, please be careful!” he says. Beomgyu changes and folds the dress, biting his lip and staring at one of the drawers in the bathroom. 

He doesn’t bring it with him. 

-

He’s sixteen when he tells someone about Taehyun. Well, after that someone finds out about him. It’s his Auntie Hanna and the feelings in his chest are just so sharp and strong that it physically hurts to think of Taehyun. Looking at the Alpha prince as he speaks about the things he’s learning, about what he’s reading, about the books he loves, the song he heard- Beomgyu’s never been so enamored with anyone. 

She finds out when they’re watching the royal family and Beomgyu can’t tear his eyes away from Taehyun. Plenty of people have crushes on the handsome Alpha, and Beomgyu is no different. But the way he looks must be a dead giveaway- Beomgyu’s been told that Yeonjun looks at his letters from Soobin with a glassy, far-off, wistful, and totally infatuated. And, sometimes, Taehyun will ask him why he’s looking at him like that. 

He’s never quite sure how to answer.

“How long have you known the prince?” Hanna says while Dae-Jung is out buying things. Beomgyu’s fingers curl into his palms as he digs his nails into the skin. 

“Why would I know the prince?” he says, keeping his eyes on the small book before him. In his chest of clothes, buried under everything, is the box with the earrings Taehyun gave him. 

“He gave you those clothes that day, didn’t he?” Hanna says. Beomgyu shrugs. 

“I haven’t-”

“You’re friends with him.” 

“Some people need a chance to be themselves,” Beomgyu says because he knows Hanna won’t let him get away with lying. 

“What’s he like?” Beomgyu does a double-take and he stares at his aunt with wide eyes. 

“You’re- you’re not going to forbid me from seeing him? None of that fairytale shit?”

“Nah. It’s not worth it right now.” 

“Right now?” Hanna shrugs as she unbraids her hair. 

“You aren’t staying with him in the palace- in my book, that’s fine.”

“Appa’s going to kill me.” 

[ _She_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEdZFhCEjWI&list=TLPQMjYwNTIwMjBPVPHuxVvD2w&index=41)

“Are you ever going to tell me what he’s like or are you going to wallow about your death?” Beomgyu laughs, shrugging. 

“I don’t feel fit to look at him some days. Am I- gods, I shouldn’t. He makes my heart beat so fast, it feels like I’ve been running for hours on end when he smiles.” Beomgyu smiles. “When he laughs, he grins and it’s a weird noise that I always make fun of him for but it’s the best thing in the world and he always sounds like he’s mildly uncomfortable but his dimple- which is really big and it’s so cute- appears. It’s on his righ cheek and I told him his face was lop-sided because of it when we were kids and I made him cry but he still cares so much about me. He thinks that half of the stuff I say is bullshit and it kinda is but he still listens because he doesn’t like talking too much but I can go on for hours and he lights up- Auntie, you should see him when he talks about his favorite books. His eyes- they’re like doe-eyes, big and round and shiny and perfect- they get even wider and he’s always so shy at first but then he gets going and he’ll go on and on about how much he loves it and he read- he reads it to me. Auntie, he means so much to me.”

“What does he smell like?” 

“Lemongrass,” Beomgyu says immediately. “He smells like lemongrass and ginger and smoke from a campfire. He gives me things- he gave me a pair of earrings and he’s so perfect and he’s always giving me things because he seems to want me to have whatever reminds him of me.” Beomgyu doesn’t think he can stop. “He says I smell like honeysuckle and oranges and then he bought me an orange tart and I showed him how to pick honeysuckle and drink the nectar and- Auntie, he’s everything to me.”

“He sounds like it,” Hanna says, smiling as she begins to comb her hair. Beomgyu smiles shyly. “What about when he gets married?” Beomgyu shrugs. 

“I don’t know,” he says. “He’ll get married and I’ll keep doing this. But he’s still fifteen. We have time to be friends.”

“Be careful with him, Beomgyu,” she says. Beomgyu shrugs. 

“We’ll never amount to anything, will we?” he says. “He’s a prince and I’m a prostitute- why can’t I care for him and make the most of it while he still wants to stay?”

-

“You’ve kissed people, haven’t you, Hyung?” Taehyun says to him without any beforehand prompting. Beomgyu is sure he’s red as a tomato as he looks over at the other boy, his eyes wide. 

“Well, yeah,” he says. “Of course.” Taehyun looks at him with those wide eyes and Beomgyu has a feeling he knows what’s going to happen next. 

“Would you kiss me?” 

“Hyun,” he says, “you don’t want to kiss me.” 

“Maybe I do,” Taehyun says boldly, straightening up. “Maybe I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while and I just haven’t yet told you.”

“You shouldn’t kiss me,” Beomgyu says. 

“Do you not want to kiss me?” Beomgyu looks away. 

“I never said that. But I don’t think I should kiss you.”

“Why not?” Beomgyu shrugs again. 

“You don’t want to kiss me.”

“Why not?”

_Because I’m a prostitute and you deserve better than that._

“Because you shouldn’t kiss your friends.”

“But what if I want to be able to kiss my mate well? Can I try it so I know what to do?” Beomgyu _knows_ what Taehyun’s doing behind his back. He’s staring at him with those doe-eyes and looking like the older boy is depriving him of everything he loves. 

_Don’t look,_ he thinks. _Choi Beomgyu, if you-_

And, he looked.

“Fine,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun perks up and all of the poutiness fades as he moves so they’re facing each other. 

“Is there anything I should do? Should-”

“Just stay still and try and copy what I do, alright?” Beomgyu says. “Be careful of your fangs, though.”

“Alright.” Beomgyu shifts a bit. 

“Are you-”

“Hyung,” Taehyun says, “just kiss me.” 

He does. Taehyun’s lips are soft and smooth against Beomgyu’s and he tastes like apple juice and peaches and sweet cakes and somehow like large story books and early fall breezes. Taehyun, though inexperienced, kisses Beomgyu and it’s the best kiss the Omega thinks he’s ever had. Taehyun seems like he knows a bit more than he’s letting on, but Beomgyu can’t say he cares. His hands are cupping the Alpha’s face and Taehyun’s hands hover near his hips. 

And then, of course, it hits him that he has to stop before they’re caught. But Beomgyu can’t hide the redness their slips share and their flushed faces. 

“Good- good job,” he says, looking at the ground. 

“Thanks.” Beomgyu licks his lips, still chasing after the taste of Taehyun. It’s already fading. 

“Um, I have to go,” he lies, standing up. Taehyun nods, still a little dazed. Beomgyu awkwardly pats his shoulder and then heads out. He climbs out the window and lands, then breaks into a run. He dashes across the garden and scrambles over the wall, tears dripping down his cheeks. He knows the paths of the guards around the city as he runs through the streets. He ends up at the edge of the field, staring out at the grass. There’s dew all over it and Beomgyu looks over his shoulder, wiping his eyes with his forearm. He grabs his skirts and into the grass he runs, pushing through as fat tears pour down from his eyes. The moon makes the droplets of water on the blades of grass shine like tiny diamonds. Taehyun showed him a pendant like it once. His chest is aching and he can feel himself begin to fall, but his hands turn to paws and Beomgyu keeps running as the grass tugs at his fur. His ears flick, the sounds of the animals living amongst the field loud and echoey. He bounds through the field until he finds a more open patch and collapses, closing his eyes. Soft whimpers slowly grow into yowls as Beomgyu mourns a love he’ll never have. He’s had a true taste of it and now he knows just how wonderful it feels. And how he’ll never taste it again. 

Things aren’t the same after they kiss each other. Beomgyu can see it in the way Taehyun speaks to him, how he’s more afraid of intimacy between them. And, well, he supposes he should’ve seen this coming. Best friends can’t come back from a kiss as intimate as the one shared between them. 

So he doesn’t ask. He goes along with it and watches as Taehyun loses himself as he prepares to become king, the pit between them growing wider. Even when they’re sitting together like two peas in a pod, he feels like they couldn’t be more far apart. It’s a heavy weight in his stomach and a hard pill to swallow, but Beomgyu manages. All he can really do is keep going. 

He wishes, though, that Taehyun would simply leave his life completely. And, as they grow apart, he begins to think about how much easier it would be.

Of course, both Hanna and his father notice this strange loss of character in the boy. He dismisses it, waving away their concerns even as the scent of smokey lemongrass and ginger continues to linger in his nose. What was the point, anyways? The gifts? His presence? The status?

 _There was no point,_ he thinks. _No point other than Taehyun himself_. 

He tells his Auntie Hanna this and she shakes her head in disapproval, telling him he’s saving himself by quitting the game they’re playing. Beomgyu, who has no other explanation, can only agree as he stares at the box under all of his dresses. He picks it up and stares at it. Then, it disappears back under the dresses and Beomgyu pulls his nightgown on, climbing into bed. 

He gets a letter the next day. He’s with his father and they’re walking through the marketplace when a guard walks up to Beomgyu. His first instinct is to push his father behind him, staring up at the Alpha as she pulls out an envelope from a bag and hands it to Beomgyu. 

“I will bring your response to the sender,” is all she says and Beomgyu already knows who she’s talking about. 

“May we go somewhere more private?” he says. The guard nods and escorts Beomgyu and his father toward a guards’ post. He cuts his fingers on the parchment of the envelope and the wax from the seal gets under his nails. It’s got the royal seal on it and Beomgyu tries his hardest to not totally ruin the fine wax. 

_Dear Beomgyu,_ it begins, the handwriting achingly familiar,   
_I apologize for that night. It was . . . not the best thing to ask of someone as close as you are to me. I was selfish in proposing such a thing and I hold no ill will for you when I see what you have decided to you. But please, I beg of you to meet with me tonight. I’ve always noticed your penchant for the palace gardens._

_I hope to see you tonight._

The parchment feels strange in his hands. It feels expensive. 

“Don’t do it,” his father whispers. Beomgyu tightens his grip on the paper. 

“Tell him I’ll see there when the moon remains in the middle of the sky,” he says. The guard nods and Beomgyu ushers Dae-Jung out as fast as he can. 

“You’re not going,” the man says as soon as they get back home. The sun is beginning to set and there’s a guard coming to escort him over. 

“I’m going, Appa,” he says. “You don’t get to make that decision for me.” He picks out the box and stares at it before putting in his earrings. “Besides, I doubt anything much will come from it. I’ll be home before sunrise, okay?”

“Don’t follow in my footsteps, Beomgyu,” he says as Beomgyu ties up the back of his corset. “Whatever you, don’t follow in my footsteps.”

“Appa,” Beomgyu says, rolling his eyes, “I’m not having sex with the prince.” Dae-Jung still looks unsure as Beomgyu kisses his cheek and heads out. He waves him goodbye and bites his lip. He’s wearing the earrings and a few rings from Taehyun. 

“I’ve never ridden a horse before,” he says to the guard. There’s a hum and he takes it as a sign that the guard does not, in fact, care very much about what Beomgyu has and hasn’t done. Which, he supposes, makes sense as many, including himself, think he’ll be discarded tonight. 

They reach the palace and Beomgyu is led to the servants’ quarters to wait. 

“Yah, get a move on!” someone says to him. Beomgyu stands up, his eyes wide. Someone grabs his arm and tugs him up a winding stairway. “What are you doing down here? You’re supposed to be in the prince’s quarters!”

“What?” Beomgyu says. He continues to follow, frowning. “Where-”

“His rut is due in a few days, you should know this!” the servant leading him looks him over. “Though, you seem rather dull, even for a whore.” Beomgyu stiffens. 

“I’m not dull,” he snaps.

“You can’t even hold your tongue. Come on and pray they don’t kill you for being disrespectful.” Beomgyu sighs, following slowly. Well, here’s another way to meet Taehyun. 

“There you are!” a nurse says, grabbing Beomgyu by the rest. She grabs his jaw and tilts his head, frowning. “Boy, who did this? Come along, you’re not even ready!” He’s dragged to a back room and there’s a white dress, similar enough to Beomgyu’s slim frame that he’s still able to masquerade as whoever’s late enough for him to be their replacement. He’s stripped of his clothes and thrown into a bath, yelping at the cold water. 

“Cold!” he cries. 

“It would be warmer if you’d been here earlier. Be thankful the prince is going to the library after his dinner.” Beomgyu huffs, trying to wash himself without the nurse’s assistance. As soon as he’s out and dry, his hair is combed and fluffed while he’s dressed. A silk white dress with a cut on the side of the skirt that goes up to his hip. It looks like it’s made of one large strip of fabric, the middle looped around his neck and crossing over one another on his chest. There’s a sliver of skin there and Beomgyu feels the need to cover up. He’s given several gold bracelets and there’s a circlet placed on his head. Someone does his makeup (it’s much nicer than what he’s used to) and then he’s tugged out, stumbling. The stone floor is cold beneath his bare feet and Beomgyu is forced to make an extra effort to make sure neither his feet or skirts are stepped on. 

“Your Highness?” the nurse says, opening the door and stepping in, keeping Beomgyu outside. He can see Taehyun sitting at a desk, a quill in hand as he writes and squints at a map and book. 

“Not tonight, Noona,” he says. “I’m-” 

“Highness, we’re sorry he’s late. Please, though- boy, come in here and apologize.” Beomgyu steps in, keeping his head bowed. 

“Apologies, Highness,” he says softly, bowing. “There was traffic on my way here.” Taehyun looks over and his eyes widen when he sees Beomgyu. He stands up, putting the quill away and wiping his ink-stained hands on his pants. The nurse clicks her tongue and grabs a wet cloth from nowhere, wiping the skin. She leaves and closes the door behind her. The two boys stare at one another with wide eyes. 

“You- you’re-”

“No, not really,” Beomgyu says. He plays with one of the rings. “Whoever was supposed to be here was even later than me and I’m the replacement.”

“Oh.” 

“We can still talk?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun nods and sits on the bed. Beomgyu joins him, and he can’t help thinking about how the last time he was here, it was when they kissed.

“So,” Beomgyu says, drawing the word out, “what was it?” 

“I’m sorry, Hyungie!” Taehyun squeaks. Beomgyu frowns and tilts his head. 

“Why?” 

Taehyun’s eyes are squeezed shut. “I, um, kindamaybelikedthekissandIthinkImighthaveacrushonyou.” 

“What.” Taehyun groans and drags his hands over his face. 

“ _Hyung_ ,” he whines, “don’t make me say it again.”

“Hyun, it’s ‘cause I couldn’t understand you.” Taehyun turns around and screams into his pillow, drawing a giggle from the older boy. 

“Gyu,” he says as soon as he seems to have composed himself. He sits up straight and stares at the spot above the Omega’s head. “Beomgyu, I have a crush on you.” 

What.

“You- what?” Beomgyu says, trying to keep his voice down. “You- you have a crush on me?” 

“If I say it again, that will have been three times that I’ve admitted something very new to _me_ to you.”

“But it’s about me,” Beomgyu argues back weakly. Taehyun looks at him and tilts his head. 

“I have a crush on you, Gyu,” he says softly. “I want to court you, I want to shower you in gifts, I want to tell you how much I adore you, and, perhaps someday in the future, I want to mate you. That’s what I mean.”

“Do you mean it?” Beomgyu says. “You’re not-”

“Why would I ever lie about-” 

Beomgyu grabs his face and kisses him. Taehyun’s words trail off as Beomgyu hushes them with his lips, cupping the younger’s face as gently as he can. He moves closer and Taehyun holds him with gentle hands. It makes Beomgyu feel like he’s made of glass, like he’s treasured. 

He’s never felt like this before. 

Beomgyu thinks he likes it a little more than he should. And that it’s maybe making him a little greedy. 

But with Taehyun touching him ever-so-softly, like he’s the most precious thing in the world, he doesn’t think anyone could ever blame him. Taehyun’s hands are calloused from practicing with a sword but they hold the delicacy that every good warrior should have. He’s gentle with the older as his hands wander over Beomgyu, cautiously exploring his arms and stopping to cup the back of his neck. Beomgyu kisses him harder, a stray tear escaping and making its way down his cheek. 

“Why are you crying?” Taehyun says when he pulls away. He uses his thumb to brush it off and Beomgyu sniffles. 

“You- it isn’t fair,” Beomgyu whispers hoarsely. “You’re so perfect and it’s so unfair that I’ll never get to wake up next to you and we can just sit together without having to worry about anything at all. It isn’t fair.” Taehyun hushes him and kisses his cheek, then moves to press one on each of his eyelids, and finishes on his forehead. 

“We’ll find a way,” he says, his voice as hoarse as Beomgyu’s. “We- I swear we will.”

“You promise?” Beomgyu says, though he knows that it won’t be enough to protect them from their fates. 

“I promise.” And they link their pinkies together between them and Beomgyu kisses Taehyun again because it’s so very wonderful to feel his lips. The scent of lemongrass and ginger fills his nose and he sighs, Taehyun running his hand up and down his spine. 

Later that night, they sit in Taehyun’s bed and talk. 

“Why do you like me?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun shrugs. 

“I haven’t a single clue.” Beomgyu flicks him. Taehyun laughs and rolls onto his side to stare at the Omega. 

“Be serious, Taehyunnie.” 

“Well,” the Alpha begins, “you’re . . .”

“Handsome? Funny? Charming? Handsome? Handsome, right?”

“Beautiful is far more fitting,” Taehyun says. “Handsome is for describing things that have limits- things such as money, or the harvest. Beautiful describes gods.”

“I’m far from that,” Beomgyu says, flicking his forehead. “What else?” Taehyun smiles at him and lies on his back, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. 

“Gods, you’re so, so beautiful,” he says. “Everything about you is beautiful. Gorgeous, really. You’re so wonderful and spontaneous and I never know what’s going to happen next but I also know I’m going to treasure it because every word you seem to speak is worth more than all of my possessions.”

“Who taught you that line?” Beomgyu says. “Have you been reading the stories about love?”

“Perhaps,” Taehyun says with a mischievous smile. “You did, however, ask me to describe you.”

“I asked why you liked me.”

“They’re the same thing, though.” Beomgyu laughs and leans closer. 

“Well, aren’t you suave?” Taehyun smiles and tugs him forward. 

“How can I not be?” Beomgyu giggles and shakes his head, cuddling closer. “Why do you like me, Hyungie?” 

“There are so many reasons why,” he says. 

“Give me a few.” 

“I think you’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever met,” Beomgyu says. “You’re so smart and sweet even though you pretend you’re so serious and stoic but then you look at me as I talk about nothing and your eyes hold entire galaxies- you’re my everything, did you know that?”

“Am I?”

“Who else would I be talking to, Hyun?” Taehyun laughs and kisses him, running his fingers through the hair near the nape of Beomgyu’s neck. The movements of their lips are slow and languid, reminding Beomgyu of honey lazily oozing out of a bottle tipped to its side. Taehyun’s lips still have bits of sugar from his supposed desert and Beomgyu even gets hints of ginger from his scent. He rolls Taehyun onto his back, keeping their lips together, and slings a thigh over his hips, straddling him. Fingers comb through his hair and a tongue dances with his own as Taehyun sucks his bottom lip into his mouth, fangs grazing over it. He’s flushed when Beomgyu pulls away, his eyes wide. His lips are reddened from kissing and spit-slicked, while Beomgyu’s gotten some of his lipstick on him. 

“It’s smudged,” Taehyun says, his thumb swiping under the swell of Beomgyu’s lower lip. The Omega stares at him, then his arms go weak and he drops himself onto the prince. 

“Gyu,” Taehyun groans. Beomgyu sighs, nuzzling closer. Taehyun runs his fingers through his hair and it fluffs up around his head like a strange halo. 

“Do you even know how perfect you are?” Beomgyu says before the words can be halted by his (very weak, mind you) brain-to-mouth filter. 

“No,” Taehyun says. Cheekily, he adds, “But I don’t have a single problem with you telling me for as long as you want.”

“They say that people who talk a lot like the sounds of their voices,” Beomgyu says. “I talk a lot because _you_ like the sound of my voice.” Taehyun laughs as he smiles softly at him, his eyes crinkling in the corners. 

“Am I supposed to not enjoy the way you speak? You’re so utterly captivating, it’d be like telling a fish not to swim.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes and inhales the Alpha’s scent, sighing against his skin. 

“I never thought you’d be such a romantic.”

“You don’t like it?” 

“I do. I like it a lot.” Taehyun smiles at him. 

“I had a feeling you would,” he says. Beomgyu laughs and pushes himself up, bracketing the Alpha in with his arms. 

“Well?” Taehyun says, raising an eyebrow and moving his arms so his head rests on his hands. “Are you going to kiss me or what?” Beomgyu snorts and leans down, pressing their lips together. Taehyun lets his hands rest on the older’s hips, drawing small circles against the fabric. With his eyes closed, Beomgyu can pretend everything’s okay and that he doesn’t have to worry about going back before sunrise. 

“Gyu, wake up,” someone says and Beomgyu opens his eyes. Taehyun looks scared. 

“What?” 

“You were talking about having to go back before sunrise,” he says. Beomgyu nods. 

“I do that sometimes.” Taehyun looks out the window and Beomgyu looks with him. It’s twilight. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. 

“You- I’ll see you again? I can sneak out-”

“I don’t want you getting in trouble,” Beomgyu says. He kisses Taehyun’s cheek. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.” Taehyun nods and Beomgyu opens the window, climbing out. He lands and then runs through the garden, making sure to keep his head bowed. Beomgyu clambers over the wall and then takes off through the city, shifting to run more without making as much noise. He reaches the brothel and then sits down, staring up at it. He can still smell Taehyun. 

Carefully, Beomgyu opens the door. He heads up the stairs and into his room, finding Dae-Jung sitting on the bed. 

“I’m back before sunrise,” Beomgyu says. The man looks up and stares at him, locking eyes with the boy. 

“Are you okay?” Beomgyu says when he receives no answer. His father sighs and gets under the blankets, facing away from his son. Beomgyu begins to remove the bangles and jewlery from his body, leaving them on the vanity. He changes into a nightgown and gets in bed beside his father, facing the opposite way. He feels like he’s forgotten something important, but what could it be?

Whatever it is, Beomgyu only knows he’ll regret forgetting it. 

The next morning, Beomgyu goes to work as usual but he can taste Taehyun on his lips. He must smell of the Alpha too because many of his usuals are steering clear. When he gets off of his shift, Beomgyu wanders through the city, humming to himself. 

He doesn’t expect to be cornered by an Alpha in rut. Beomgyu yelps as he’s dragged into an alleyway, his eyes wide as the Alpha brackets him in. And, well, he’s not new to the experience but it’s less controlled and-

 _Thunk!_ The Alpha stumbles and Beomgyu jumps back, his eyes wide as blood begins to pour from the corpse. 

“You okay?” someone says. A figure jumps into the alley and Beomgyu feels a scream building up in his throat when he sees a strange figure standing across from himHe scrambles back against the wall. 

“Stay- stay away!” he says, his voice high-pitched and squeaky. The assassin holds his hands up in surrender and Beomgyu grabs for a broken bottle. He holds it in front of himself and brandishes it like a sword, pressing himself as close to the wall as he can get. The figure stays away but a bit of a shingle falls and lands near the Omega’s foot. He looks up and almost screams when he sees another Alpha sitting above him, head tilted as he stares down at the Omega. Beomgyu falls in his haste to get away, but he only ends up closer to the other assassin. Not an ideal situation, that’s for sure. 

“Please don’t hurt me!” he says. He scrambles into a far corner when he hears the first man step closer. His dress drags in the dirt and the scum on the ground dirties the white fabric, though Beomgyu doesn’t care right now. He presses his back against the corner, staring at the two Alphas. 

“We’re not going to hurt you,” he says, holding his arms out. His accomplice steps forward and Beomgyu whips around to face him. He bares his sharper-than-normal teeth. 

“Not another step,” he snarls. The man stops. Beomgyu looks at the shorter man. “Why are you here? What do you want with me?” 

“Nothing, nothing,” the man says, waving his hand. Beomgyu feels a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. “Just go to sleep.”

Beomgyu wakes up tied to a chair. He thrashes angrily, cursing and yelling. 

“Hey!” he yells. “Let me out! You bastards, let me go!” 

“That was mean,” a voice says and Beomgyu narrows his eyes. 

“So was kidnapping me,” he snaps. “What is it you want? Money? Power? I’m a prostitute-”

“Who are you to His Highness Prince Taehyun?” 

“No one,” Beomgyu says immediately. “Let me go.”

“We’re not done yet,” the voice says and Beomgyu rolls his eyes, fingers tugging on the ropes. 

“I don’t wanna be here,” he groans, dropping his head forward. “Why me?” His teeth get a little sharper and his ears a little pointed. He can hear a bit more. Maybe his fingers are getting shorter too. 

“How often do you see Taehyun?” Beomgyu shrugs. He shivers as his bones begin to rearrange themselves. 

“Mm, dunno,” he says. He shakes his head, his hair longer and shaggy. His feet are paws and he can feel the fur appearing over his body. 

“You-” Beomgyu shakes as he finishes, a wolf sitting in his place. The ropes fall from his wrists and he rolls off of the chair, landing with a satisfying thump. He sighs, stretching before standing up and padding out. Beomgyu is pretty sure he’s shocked his captors enough and off he goes, running through the city streets. 

And then, a hand grabs him by the scruff of his neck and carries him off. 

Beomgyu lies on his side as he’s circled by the three Alphas. He keeps his eyes narrowed, his ears pointed upwards. 

“We really don’t want much,” the man who stopped the raging Alpha in the alleyway says. Beomgyu decides he’s Guy One. “We just want to know how you know the prince.”

“He can’t answer that when he’s a fuckin’ wolf,” the third man says. “He doesn’t have a human mouth.” Beomgyu snorts and lies down, watching as they stare at him. 

“Why hasn’t he run?” 

_Why haven’t I run?_ Beomgyu frowns as best as he can. _I should run._

And then, he takes off. He can hear the yelling behind him and Beomgyu laughs loudly as he runs, following the faint scent of the city. It isn’t long before he gets there and changes back in an alley, looking down at his muddy dress. 

“That sucked,” he grumbles as he grabs his skirts and makes his way home. He changes and washes the dress, hanging it on a clothesline. It was his day to do laundry, anyways. 

Beomgyu sits in bed at night, staring at the wall and wondering why he was kidnapped. He rubs his wrists, finding them to be less sore than a couple of hours ago, but they aren’t perfect. He sighs and shifts to look at his father. 

Strangely, the space beside him is empty. Beomgyu stands up, pulling his slippers on, and slowly creeps out of the room. Hanna’s also missing. 

“ _You’ve known about it the whole time? Why didn’t you say anything?”_ Dae-Jung demands. 

“ _Dae, he’s a kid. It’ll last a few-”_

 _“It’s been_ years _, Hanna. I think it’s time that we stopped him. He still hasn’t been to school and our tutoring can only do so much. We have to find someone to take him in.”_

 _“Who? Think about it, Dae. Your son is a_ prostitute _. There’s no sugar-coating it, either. Who’s going to take him? He’s sixteen!”_

 _“A man asked me today,”_ Dae-Jung mumbles. “ _He said Beomgyu will stay with him on the weekdays and he’ll come back during the weekend. He’ll go to school like all of the other children-”_

_“He’ll be humiliated! He’s sixteen, not two! Look, Dae, I know you want the best for him, but-”_

A sudden knock on the front door startles everyone and Beomgyu rushes back from the door where his father and Hanna were talking, looking out the small window. A guard stands in front of the door, waiting. Kang-Dae opens it. 

“We’re looking for a Beomgyu,” the guard says gruffly. “We’ve been told he lives around here.” Beomgyu stiffens and runs into his room, cursing. That’s what he forgot. Taehyun’s rut. 

A few minutes later, Kang-Dae opens the door. 

“Get out there, boy,” he says, tugging Beomgyu’s arm. 

“Ow, ow, ow- hey! Okay, that’s my hair, yeah, I like it, so don’t- oof!” He’s shoved on the ground in front of the guard. Beomgyu looks up with wide eyes. 

“Are you Beomgyu?” 

“I’m the Beomgyu you’re looking for, yes.” The guard nods and helps him up, leading him to a horse. Beomgyu climbs on, his heart pounding erratically. They head to the palace and Beomgyu is brought inside, up the stairs, and down a few halls until he reaches Taehyun’s room. The door is opened and Beomgyu is shoved inside. 

Taehyun is lying on his bed, shirtless and panting. Beomgyu knows he can smell him and the Alpha rolls onto his side, staring at him. Beomgyu bites his lip, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering about as he waits for the Alpha to strike. 

“Hey,” Taehyun says. 

“Hi.” 

“Can you- can we cuddle?” Beomgyu looks up and Taehyun stares back, the space in the bed beside him open. Beomgyu begins to take his nightgown off, but Taehyun stops him. 

“You don’t have to,” he says. “I don’t really mind if you keep it on or not.” Beomgyu nods and continues, letting it pool around his feet before he walks over and gets in bed beside Taehyun. The Alpha smiles at him, leaning forward and kissing him. 

“What triggered it?” Beomgyu says. Taehyun hums. 

“Dunno. Just couldn’t stop thinkin’ about kissing you.” Beomgyu smiles against his lips and shakes his head, moving closer. He’s feeling a bit more relaxed, and a bit like he needs to nest. 

“Move,” he grunts, pushing Taehyun. The Alpha rolls off of the bed and Beomgyu begins collecting the clothes he finds, moving the pillows and blankets until he has a makeshift nest. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do. 

“C’mere,” he says. Taehyun giggles and climbs in, sighing. They curl together in the nest, fingers laced together. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Taehyun mumbles drowsily. Beomgyu laughs. 

“I know,” he says softly. He pushes a strand of hair behind Taehyun’s ear, smiling at the Alpha’s little nose twitch when he does so. 

“You smell so nice,” Taehyun sighs. He buries his face in the crook of Beomgyu’s neck. “Like oranges and honeysuckle, you know?” 

“Mmm.”

“Do I smell nice?” 

“Like smokey lemongrass and ginger.” Taehyun grunts. 

“Don’t like lemongrass. Doesn’t taste like lemons.” Beomgyu laughs and kisses him. 

“It doesn’t,” he agrees. Taehyun nods, his eyes growing droopy. 

“You’ll stay with me, right?” he mumbles. Beomgyu nods, his own eyes growing heavy as well. 

“Yeah, course, Hyun,” he says. Taehyun smiles and then he falls asleep. Beomgyu snuggles closer and closes his eyes, sighing as he falls asleep. 

He wakes up in the middle of the night, feeling feverish. Taehyun is awake but his eyes are glassy and lidded. Beomgyu frowns and waves a hand in front of his face. 

“Hyun,” he says, receiving no response. “ _Hyun_.” Taehyun doesn’t move. 

_Is he sleeping with his eyes open?_ Beomgyu wonders. He flicks the Alpha on the forehead. 

“Yah,” he says, “wake up!” Taehyun blinks a few times before he “opens” his eyes. His gaze locks onto Beomgyu and he gets a new kind of dazed look on his face, this time filling the air with pheromones. Beomgyu stares back and tilts his head. 

“I missed you,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu snorts and pulls him close, kissing him.

“I missed you too,” he says. “You were only asleep, though. I was with you the entire time.”

“Dreamed of you,” Taehyun says against his skin, hands grabbing Beomgyu’s thighs. Beomgyu loops his arms around his neck, but his heart is pounding in a way that makes him scared. Taehyun’s scent is thick and it _should_ be sexy, yet it’s all but that. Beomgyu squirms and bites his lip. He’s supposed to help Taehyun with his rut, what-

“Are you okay? Do you want to stop?” Taehyun says, slowly moving back. Beomgyu looks at him with wide eyes. 

“I’m here to help you.”

“I know, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Are you okay? I really don’t need you to help me, I can always-”

“No, I mean, yeah, I’m fine, I just-” Beomgyu hugs himself and looks away. “You know what I do for a living, right?”

“I do.”

“And, um, I dunno, I’ve never- um, I first had sex when I was thirteen and, um, it kind of has always . . . uh, it hurts a lot. Like, a lot a lot. I just- ugh, gods, I’m sorry. This is your rut-”

“It’s your body, though. We really don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. I won’t die if you don’t help me. Your scent is really enough.” Beomgyu wrings his hands. 

“Is that- is it really okay? I mean, maybe someday we can do it, but right now-”

“Gyu,” Taehyun says, leaning forward and locking eyes with him, “I don’t need an explanation. May we cuddle, though?” Beomgyu nods, curling up in the nest. Taehyun lies down next to him and pulls him flush against his chest. 

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he says. Beomgyu shrugs. 

“I-”

“If you apologize, I’m jumping out of the window and you can’t stop me.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes. 

“I wanted to thank you, actually,” he says. 

“You were going to apologize before, though.” 

“Is every second with me “call Gyu out”?!” Beomgyu squawks. Taehyun smiles at him. 

“Angel,” he says, the name rolling off of his tongue, sweet as honey, “I can’t let your head get too big?” 

“Then why would you ever call me “angel”?” 

“Because you are one.” Taehyun rolls his eyes and he’s still got that rut-dazed look, but his words couldn’t be more sincere. Beomgyu kisses him again. 

“Are you sure?” Taehyun nods. 

“Very. Unless you don’t want me calling you that.” Beomgyu hums. 

“It’s fine,” he says. Taehyun smiles and cuddles closer, sighing. Once again, he buries his face in the crook of the Omega’s neck, inhaling his scent. Soft kisses are pressed to the skin and they seem to burn, Taehyun’s lips feverish from his rut. Beomgyu is pretty sure it’s triggering his heat. Well, whoops. 

A rut usually lasts a day or two, though it can trigger a heat, keeping couples in for an extra week. For Taehyun’s rut, they sleep a lot of it off, kissing here and there to keep Taehyun from getting _too_ desperate. He likes to bury his face wherever Beomgyu’s scent is strongest, but Beomgyu keeps him above his hips. His neck, by the end of it, is a mess of bitemarks and hickeys sucked dangerously close to his scent glands, but, as long as Taehyun’s fangs avoid the nape of his neck, they stay unmated. Beomgyu’s instincts relish in being _covered_ in Taehyun’s scent, the Alpha’s “claiming” so thorough Beomgyu doesn’t think it’ll go away for days. Which further raises the likelihood of his heat popping up before they can leave. 

“Hyun, wake up,” he says when he wakes up feeling like he’s a living furnace. Taehyun grunts and Beomgyu shakes him. “Hyunnie, it’s _here_.”

“Tell it to go back,” Taehyun mumbles. He pulls Beomgyu back into bed. “It’s too early.” Beomgyu hmphs as he cuddles closer, wrapping his body around Taehyun’s. 

“Hyun,” Beomgyu says a few minutes after waking the Alpha up, “can you open the window?” Taehyun grunts and stands up, stretching before shuffling toward the balcony doors. He unlocks them and opens them so a breeze can enter the room, playing with the white curtains by it. The moonlight makes Taehyun glow as he turns around, his expression lazy but fond as he looks at Beomgyu. The Omega sits up, rubbing his eyes. His hair is everywhere and he’s pretty sure there’s drool on his chin as he stares at the Alpha, pouting. 

“Hey, angel, how are you?” he says. Beomgyu hums, making grabby hands. 

“‘M needy for you,” he says and Taehyun laughs as he climbs into the nest, letting Beomgyu clamber over him. A hand smooths down his back and Beomgyu sighs, eyes falling shut. He can feel soft kisses being administered to his jawline, one hand rubbing his thigh. Beomgyu sighs again, falling asleep to the steady rise of Taehyun’s chest and the soothing treatment. 

He wakes up in heat. It’s like a smack to the face and Beomgyu whines, trying to quell the burning feeling. Taehyun smells so, so _nice_ and his mind is kind of floating out of reach as he bucks his hips forward, panting. Taehyun is still sleeping and Beomgyu is so, so _needy_ , why isn’t-

“Angel, is it here?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu whines in confirmation and Taehyun rolls onto his back, sitting up as Beomgyu straddles him. The Omega kisses as hard as he possibly can, his heart pounding in his chest. Taehyun’s hands are cold and they run over Beomgyu’s skin, though they can’t seem to soothe the fire running through his veins. His stomach curls as Taehyun moves so he’s bracketing the Omega in, staring down at him with wide eyes and a flushed face. Beomgyu reaches up and tugs him closer, wrapping his legs around the prince’s middle. It’s pretty obvious what they do next. 

After a few days of marathon sex, Beomgyu is passed out in a smelly nest. Taehyun shakes him awake. 

“Angel, you need a bath,” he says. Beomgyu grunts and rolls away. Taehyun sighs, getting up. 

“When are you coming back?” Beomgyu says, though it’s more of a plea. Taehyun looks over at him and comes back, kissing the older boy. 

“I’m drawing a bath, don’t worry, angel,” he says. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Beomgyu whines as he pulls away, attempting to chase after Taehyun’s lips. The Alpha heads into the bathroom and Beomgyu can hear him drawing the bath, but he’s still a little hazy and his mind is in overdrive as he somehow manages to convince himself that the Alpha isn’t ever coming back. He’s blubbering and crying by the time Taehyun gets back, picking him up and rocking him. 

“-and- and I thought you weren’t _ever_ gonna come back and I was so scared ‘cause- ‘cause I thought I was alone forever-”

“Let’s get in the bath, c’mon, angel,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu yowls and digs his nails into Taehyun’s biceps. 

“No, no, no! Bad water!” he yells. Taehyun laughs and then _he_ climbs in, sitting in the tub as he stares at the Omega. Beomgyu narrows his eyes. 

“Please, Gyu?” he says. The older boy sticks a finger into the water, swirling it around. It’s warm enough he supposes. 

“Why is there blood,” Taehyun says sometime later. Beomgyu looks down. 

“Oh,” he says, “that.”

“Why.”

“It’ll go away, young grasshopper, now be quiet because an angel is sleeping on you.” Beomgyu closes his eyes and ignores all of Taehyun’s protests about the blood in the bath until he gets out and does something to drain the water and then refill it. 

“There we go,” Taehyun says. He’s rubbing Beomgyu’s stomach. “You’re so cute.”

“Mm.” He sighs, keeping his eyes closed as Taehyun begins to wash his hair, the suds giving the older boy a wig of white. It feels nice, though. 

“Lemme try,” Beomgyu says. He moves to sit behind Taehyun and pours what he thinks is a good amount into his hand and makes it sudsy before beginning to wash the dark brown locks before him. Taehyun relaxes into his touch and Beomgyu begins to make little cat ears with the soap, humming to himself. 

“What did you do to my hair?” Taehyun mumbles. Beomgyu hums in response, rinsing his hands in the bathwater. Taehyun turns around to look at him with narrowed eyes, a suspicious frown on his face. But Beomgyu can’t take him seriously with his little ears, and he finds himself doubling over in laughter at the Alpha’s expression and hair. 

“What, what?” Taehyun demands. “What did you do?” Beomgyu laughs harder in response and Taehyun reaches up to touch his hair, almost smashing the older boy’s hard work. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” he says, grabbing his wrist. “You’re gonna smash them!” 

“What are they?” 

“Kitty ears,” Beomgyu says, rolling his eyes because it should be obvious. “You know I’m a cat person.”

“I- well, yes, I suppose I do,” Taehyun says as he sits back, letting his hands fall. Beomgyu slides back into the water and ducks his head under and then shakes the shampoo out. He surfaces to see Taehyun trying to do it around the ears and his heart does the ba-da-ba-da-ba-DA thing that makes Beomgyu squeal. 

“You can wash them out,” he says, running his fingers through them. Come to think of it, Taehyun’s hair is pretty long. Beomgyu doesn’t want him to cut it.

“But you’re the one who made them,” Taehyun whines. Beomgyu rolls his eyes and flicks the Alpha on the forehead, smiling and shaking his head. 

“Sap,” he says. 

“A loveable sap.” Beomgyu snorts and kisses him. They get out and dry off, sitting together in bed. 

“I’m going to have to leave soon,” the older boy mumbles. Taehyun sighs, nuzzling the back of Beomgyu’s neck. 

“I know,” he says softly. He presses a kiss to his scent glands and Beomgyu sighs, closing his eyes and leaning back. 

“I don’t want to.” 

“I know.” Beomgyu turns to look at him and then leans forward, pressing their lips together. Taehyun hugs him and looks out the window. 

“I’ll visit you,” he says. When Beomgyu protests, he shakes his head. “If I get caught, the most trouble I could get in is a fraction of the least for you.”

“How will you even get out of the palace?”

Taehyun snorts. “Yeonjun is my brother. I know plenty of ways.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes. 

“Please be careful,” he says. 

“Of course.”

And then, Beomgyu leaves. He and Taehyun try to hide their relationship from the guards and nurses that lead Beomgyu out of the palace, but Taehyun’s figure in the window and Beomgyu’s inability to stop looking over his shoulder don’t help. 

He gets back and is bombarded with questions. His neck (among other places) is bruised and bitten while he reeks of Taehyun. Beomgyu grabs a shawl to wrap around his neck and he changes into some clean clothes, shuffling around. 

“Beomgyu,” Dae-Jung says from the doorway. The boy turns around, crossing his arms. 

“Hey,” he says. 

“You were called by the prince.”

“So?” Dae-Jung looks like he’s been crying. He wipes his eyes and shifts from foot-to-foot. 

“Stop it before it gets any worse,” he says. “You spent your heat with him, you should be thankful the brothel supplies us with medication to stop fertilization.”

“Well, it clearly doesn’t work all the time, does it?” Beomgyu says. Dae-Jung flinches. Beomgyu looks over at him and suddenly, he’s hit with how frail his father looks. The man is thin, far too thin for a thirty-two-year-old, his eyes dull. His hair is barely taken care of and he stands unevenly, one leg shorter than the other after an Alpha was too rough. Beomgyu is pretty sure his ribs are visible from beneath his skin. 

“Bear,” his father says, running a hand through his hair, “please. I- don’t end up like me, please.”

“Appa, I’m sixteen,” Beomgyu says. “I can make my own decisions.”

“You know what decisions I made when I was sixteen?” Dae-Jung says, temper flaring. “You know what decisions? None of them were for me! I had to get a job at a pub because I couldn’t work with you! I traded my education for you!” the man says, slamming his hands down on the table. “I was going to go to school, you hear me?! I sacrificed everything for you! Don’t you dare throw what you have away for some prince who’s going to cast you aside as soon as you tell him you love him!” 

“He’s not like that!” Beomgyu says, clenching his fists by his sides. “You don’t know him!” 

“Oh, and you do?” Dae-Jung says. “Wake up, Beomgyu! You're a prostitute, understand? That’s a prince! The story books are lies! Princes are noble until you explain what commitment actually means. You won’t end up like me.” 

“Yeah, I won’t!” Beomgyu yells. “I won’t scare him away!” 

As soon as he says it, Beomgyu knows how much it hurts. His father flinches away before schooling his expression into something neutral. Beomgyu knows it wasn’t something his father did to scare his other parent away. He _knows_ that his father was just a sixteen-year-old boy who thought he’d finally found a way out and he had someone to support him, but then, all of it was snatched away when the Alpha left. And Dae-Jung has worked as hard as he possibly could to give Beomgyu everything he can and Beomgyu knows that. 

“We’re sending you away,” Dae-Jung says, brushing his dress off. “You’re going to go to a special school for people like yourself. You’ll come back during your breaks.” 

“No,” Beomgyu says. But Dae-Jung is already leaving, walking out of the room after telling Beomgyu to start packing. The Omega stares at his things, at the large chest with all of the dresses he’d rather not keep. Well, except for the first one bought for him. Sighing, Beomgyu shifts through the trunk until he has it, then searches for anything else. Nothing else but a little teddy bear from when he was little will be accompanying him. 

“I’m ready,” Beomgyu says. His father appears in the door and stares at his son, his head held high. It’s clear what their blood relationship is, but it’s also clear, even to an outsider, how distant they’ve become. 

It makes Beomgyu want to cry. He’s always been close to his Appa, so what’s wrong with him? Why are they pulling away from one another? When did they begin? Will it end? When will it end? What’s going to happen to them?

“Okay,” Dae-Jung says, breaking Beomgyu from his thoughts. “There’s a carriage waiting for you outside.” Beomgyu nods and walks out, his heart pounding. He stops in front of the door and looks over at the brothel. Dae-Jung is watching from the window, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. When he locks eyes with Beomgyu, though, he turns away. 

It’s the final blow, and Beomgyu boards the carriage.

He arrives at a large building in the far, though high-class, reaches of the city. Beomgyu gets out and stares at the huge building with wide eyes, clutching his bear and dress to his chest. The clothes he’s wearing right now make him feel terribly out of place as he sees the fine uniforms of the students around him. 

“You must be Beomgyu,” someone says, startling the Omega out of his skin. There’s a girl, maybe his age, with bright eyes and beautiful blonde hair (woah. Beomgyu’s never seen that before) spilling over her shoulders. She bows at the boy and smiles. “I’m Isabelle. I’ll be your roommate!” 

“R-roommate?” Beomgyu says, eying the girl warily. “What?”

“We share rooms, silly,” the girl says, rolling her eyes. She grabs his hand but Beomgyu yanks it back. “C’mon, Beomgyu-ssi, let’s go!” He follows slowly, looking back at the carriage and then at the campus. Isabelle is waiting for him and Beomgyu slowly begins to follow, his heart thundering in his chest. 

The uniforms don’t look too bad at least. They’re all ankle-length, flowy dresses (it seems like it’s an Omegas-only campus) with cinched waists but no visible corsets. Beomgyu stays close to Isabelle as they walk through, his eyes wide as he attempts to take everything in. He can hear the girl saying things and he’s not quite paying attention, more interested in the surrounding scenery. 

“Here’s our room!” Isabelle says, opening the door. Beomgyu’s eyes widen when the door opens. Against each wall is a twin bed, Isabelle’s with a bunch of little charms or things she must’ve brought. There’s a bedside table and a large window overlooking the campus between them, two desks against each wall, in line with the beds. There are closets for each of them and a bookshelf in a little nook, which is also home to a lounge. 

“There’s a bathroom down the hall. Here’s your key!” Isabelle says before leaving. Beomgyu drops his stuff on the bed and looks around, his eyes wide. He opens the closet doors and finds several uniforms of several different sizes, each with a pair of shoes. Beomgyu grabs one that looks closest and then heads to one of the bathrooms, changing. He blushes when he sees the marks on his neck, covering them with one hand. Then, he’s reminded of a very important detail. 

_Taehyun_. Beomgyu curses, getting up and heading back to the room. It’ll be a few days before the hickeys leave and even longer before he loses Taehyun’s scent, but that’s not even his greatest problem. He wouldn’t be surprised if everyone got a good look and a good sniff of them when he was walking. He’s more worried about Taehyun sneaking to the brothel or-

Someone’s knocking on the window. Beomgyu rushes over and opens it, eyes widening when he sees Taehyun. The Alpha swings his legs over the windowsill, staring at Beomgyu with a soft smile on his face. 

“How did you-”

“I may or may not have, um, followed you home? Very quietly, don’t worry, but-”

Beomgyu shuts him up with a kiss, tugging Taehyun close. 

“I missed you,” he says. Taehyun laughs. 

“We were together just a few hours ago, angel.”

“Am I not allowed to miss you, then?” he says. Taehyun shakes his head with a smile, kicking his feet. He’s shorter than Beomgyu, and the Omega suspects that’s why he’s sitting on the windowsill. 

“No, please do,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu rolls his eyes. 

“How far is it?” he says. Taehyun shrugs. 

“If you shift, I’d say about thirty minutes.”

“Is that how you got here?” 

“Yeah.” Beomgyu laughs. 

“You’re so lovesick,” he says. Taehyun laughs in response, tilting his head. 

“I missed you, though.” He looks around, craning his neck. “How do you like it?”

“I’ve been here for a few minutes but my roommate seems nice,” he says. “She has blonde hair, though, and it’s kind of weird.”

“My brother has blue hair.”

“Yeah, but everyone knows that. Does he go to some sort of school like this?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “No, but he has a tutor.”

“I’ll probably have a tutor since I can barely read and write myself.” 

“You’re a wonderfully eloquent speaker, though.”

“Am I?” Beomgyu says. “Have you met me?” Taehyun laughs. 

“Okay, sometimes you’re an eloquent speaker. But, no matter what you say, I can always listen.”

“You’ll visit me, right?” 

“Only if you visit me.” 

“Of course I will,” Beomgyu says as he rolls his eyes. There’s the sound of someone heading down the hall. “Someone’s coming!” Taehyun squeaks and rolls out of the window, clambering down. Beomgyu watches as he goes, weaving around with his head down to seem like a teacher. 

The next few days are full of Beomgyu getting used to going to school. It’s so- it’s just so _weird_. He has a schedule and he spends his days sitting at a desk, listening to a tutor go over what he needs to learn. They do it in the library and Beomgyu learns things like math and more complicated reading. It’s easy at first and maybe that’s one of the problems because it isn’t long before Beomgyu is being sent to more difficult classes, which he understands well enough to pass quickly. 

A lot of it is because Taehyun comes or he goes to Taehyun and the Alpha will help him study. Beomgyu hasn’t told anyone, not even Isabelle, why he always seems to disappear. 

He does, eventually, have to tell her though. They’re friends as Beomgyu has proven himself to be rather sociable (meaning everyone is quick to latch onto him and Beomgyu is 100% okay with that), so he makes plenty of friends. He’s sneaking out when Isabelle wakes up, finding Beomgyu with one leg out the window and a cloak on. 

“What . . . what are you doing?” she says, squinting. Beomgyu laughs nervously. 

“N- . . . nothing?”

“Why are you trying to leave?” 

“No, no, no, I’m just- uh, I’m going to get some fresh air!” 

“Lights out was-”

“I’ll be right back-”

“Are you seeing someone?” Beomgyu almost falls out of the window then. 

“What?” he whisper-yells. He laughs again. “Me? Seeing someone? Psh, no . . .” he says. Another problem: he’s pretty sure Isabelle has a crush on Taehyun (even though they’ve never met). 

“Who are you seeing?” Isabelle says, perking up. “Can you tell me?”

“No one, I’m not seeing anyone,” Beomgyu says, still trying to leave. 

“Then why are you trying to sneak out?” 

“No reason, no reason,” Beomgyu says. 

“Choi Beomgyu, I _will_ tell the next teacher-”

“Fine, fine!” Beomgyu says, bordering on annoyed. “I’m seeing a . . . friend.”

“That pause betrayed you. Who is it?” 

“You wouldn’t know him,” Beomgyu says. 

“I know everyone, at least by name. What is it, Choi?” 

Beomgyu looks down and begins wringing his hands. 

“His name’s Taehyun,” he says, his voice a ghost in the night. But Isabelle hears and she gasps. 

“It’s the prince, isn’t it?” Beomgyu shrugs. 

“His name’s Taehyun. That’s all I know.”

“Liar,” Isabelle hisses. Beomgyu shrugs again, continuing to attempt his escape. “But you told me his name, so I suppose that’s enough.” Beomgyu climbs out of the window, watching as Isabelle sits on the side of her bed, staring blankly at the space. Beomgyu lands on the ground and shifts, padding off. 

“I’m sorry,” he says as soon as he meets Taehyun. The Alpha looks at him and then Beomgyu is tugged into his arms, burying his face in the crook of Taehyun’s neck. 

“What’s wrong, angel?” 

“Gods, I’m so sorry, Hyunnie, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Taehyun says softly. “What is it?”

“My roommate found out and now-”

“Hey, that’s okay,” Taehyun says, smiling at Beomgyu. “It’s okay, I don’t mind, I know she won’t tell. You know it’s okay, right, angel? It’s okay, Gyu. Deep breaths.” Beomgyu looks up at him and then he hugs Taehyun tighter, resting his head on his shoulder. Of course, because Taehyun is shorter, it requires a bit of adjusting, but Beomgyu manages and he’s soon curled around the Alpha, sighing. 

“Sorry,” he says again. 

“It’s okay, Beommie. C’mon, cuddle with me,” Taehyun says. He’s shifting, rolling onto his back as his tongue lolls out playfully. Beomgyu rolls his eyes and flops on top of him, inhaling the thick scent of wolf mixed with Taehyun’s signature. He knows the prince enjoys shifting because he likes being taller than Beomgyu and most other people. He smells nice too. His fur is soft and a warm, chocolatey brown, his eyes big and the same russet as when he’s human, but a little different from the canine influence. Beomgyu is a paler wolf, gray in color but with the same eyes. He’s also somewhat smaller, but he’s pretty sure his fur is softer. 

Taehyun hiccups when Beomgyu doesn’t shift. He cranes his neck and tilts his head, flicking his ears in confusion. Beomgyu reaches up and begins scratching his head, smiling. Taehyun lowers his ears and butts into his hand, trying to roll out from under him so Beomgyu can scratch his back. 

“No, wanna lie on you,” Beomgyu says, lightly shoving his snout. Taehyun huffs and pushes back against him, his nose wet and cold against the older’s palm. Beomgyu pouts and pushes back, grumbling. He eventually wins and they lie like that, Beomgyu slowly falling asleep. 

“Hey, you can’t sleep here,” Taehyun mumbles, feeling a lot less furry beneath Beomgyu.

“Mm.”

“You have to go back, c’mon, angel.”

“Carry me.” Taehyun sighs, wiggling out from under Beomgyu and then picking him up bridal style. The older boy loops his arms around Taehyun’s neck, peppering little kisses over the skin. Taehyun is humming something that Beomgyu can’t recognize but enjoys nonetheless, trying to hum along. They reach the campus and Taehyun slings Beomgyu over his shoulder like a sack of rice, then begins scaling the wall.

“This could end very badly,” Beomgyu says, though his voice is rather monotone. Taehyun grunts and then he opens the window, letting Beomgyu in. The Omega turns around and cups Taehyun’s face, kissing him softly. 

“I’ll see you next time?” Taehyun says, a little breathless. Beomgyu nods. 

“Don’t hurt yourself going down, hm?” Taehyun nods, waving goodbye. 

“It is the prince,” Isabelle says, reminding Beomgyu of her presence. He jumps and almost falls out of the open window, his eyes wide. 

“Look, I’m super tired, I’ll talk in the morning, good night.” Beomgyu jumps into bed and buries himself beneath the blankets, keeping his back to his roommate. She at least allows him that, and Beomgyu closes his eyes, hoping to sleep. 

The next morning, Isabelle pretends it didn’t happen. Unless they’re in the dorm. In which case, Beomgyu is bombarded with questions he’d really rather not answer. The worst, though, are the sex ones. 

“Have you had sex?” she asks and is that a notebook?

Beomgyu shrugs. He’s doing homework, why is she asking him these questions?

“You have, right? You’re almost seventeen.”

“Hm.”

“You’ve had sex.” Beomgyu glares over his shoulder and rolls his eyes. 

“Yes, we’ve had sex. Happy?”

“I have more questions.”

“As expected.” 

“How is he?” Beomgyu slams his head on his papers. 

“He’s fifteen. Wait . . .” It’s September, right? He thinks it is. Beomgyu checks his calendar and confirms his suspicions. So he’s still fifteen. Okay. “Yeah, he was fifteen. What should I have expected?”

“He’s a prince, Gyu. Princes-”

“He’s just a normal guy, Isabelle. He doesn’t- he’s just Taehyun, not some god.”

“He’s a prince! You’re dating a prince! A prince-”

 _Thwap!_ Beomgyu stands up, walking to the window. He opens it and finds a very confused dragon sitting on the sill. When it sees Beomgyu, it perks up and then throws up a little box. Beomgyu smiles and thanks it, heading into the room to get something for payment. He hands the dragon a few gold scales and waves it goodbye, picking up the box and heading inside. 

“What is it?” Isabelle says before Beomgyu can open the box. 

“I dunno.” He undoes the little latch and smiles at the pretty ring inside, taking it out and sliding it on. There are little honeysuckle flowers inside and orange peel shavings that make Beomgyu shake his head fondly, closing the box and sliding it into one of his drawers. He can feel eyes burning into his back but he pays Isabelle no mind as he continues to work, though he gets distracted when he begins doodling in the corners of his notebooks. If he’d looked over his shoulder, though, he would’ve seen Isabelle writing down something very important. 

-

The year finishes, and Taehyun’s birthday comes. Beomgyu is still in school but he sneaks out for the younger boy’s birthday. Beomgyu shoves a fur coat into his bag and climbs out after making sure that Isabelle is truly asleep and isn’t waiting for him to leave so she can chase after him. The last time that happened, Beomgyu almost had a heart attack and had to cover his mouth with the only hand he had that didn’t have fur on it. And then he ushered her back in before bounding off, finishing his shift. 

It’s fun to run in the snow. Beomgyu likes the feeling of crushing snow beneath his paws and how beautiful everything is. He sits down in their meeting spot and Taehyun comes not long after, licking Beomgyu’s face in greetings. They pad off, and quickly begin to race. The moonlight makes the snow sparkle like diamonds beneath their feet and it’s powdery when someone tackles someone else. It gets in his fur and it chills his skin, but Beomgyu can’t say he minds. Especially when Taehyun begins to try and sneeze the snow out of his nose, crinkling his nose adorably as Beomgyu watches happily, tail wagging. Taehyun sneezes again and Beomgyu can’t help it as he shifts back and wraps himself in a fur cloak. He walks over and cups the wolf’s face, kissing his nose. And then he scoops up a handful of snow in his mitten-covered hand and shoves it at Taehyun, stumbling off. There’s a surprised yelp and Beomgyu can hear Taehyun chasing him, probably already breathing down his neck. He tackles the older boy and shifts back, grinning wildly. His nose is red and there’s snow in his hair and clothes, but his eyes are dancing happily as they stare down at Beomgyu. They’re both panting and Beomgyu tugs Taehyun down, connecting their lips. Taehyun is still wearing his open-mouthed, dazed, and even a little shocked grin. Beomgyu grins back and he kisses him again. 

“I think I’m falling in love with you,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun suddenly jumps back and then he starts running all around the meadow, yelling happily. Beomgyu sits back on his hands and smiles as he watches, shaking the snow from his hair. He stands up and then Taehyun tackles him again. 

“Is that my birthday present?” he says. “Because it’s the best thing I’ve ever gotten.” Beomgyu laughs. 

“Sure, Hyun,” he says and Taehyun laughs again, picking him up and spinning him around. They end up sprawled in the snow, panting with flushed faces and sparkling eyes and giant, dopey smiles on their faces. 

“I’m falling in love with you too,” Taehyun says to him. Beomgyu looks over. 

“Not surprising,” he says. Taehyun squawks and hits his arm, glaring. Beomgyu climbs on top of him, smiling down at the younger boy. Taehyun’s hair fans out around his face and it looks a little dorky but it’s also so perfect because he suddenly has a chocolate halo and Beomgyu finds himself so lost in his eyes that Taehyun manages to switch their positions. 

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met,” he says. 

“You have such a weird fixation with calling me beautiful,” Beomgyu says. He begins braiding a few strands of Taehyun’s hair. “Why?”

“I don’t think enough people are telling you,” he says. “And I also think you don’t totally understand how pretty you are.” 

“You’re one to talk, but okay,” Beomgyu says. He grins and he falls a little deeper with the way Taehyun looks at him. His eyes sparkle and he’s smiling while slack-jawed, and he looks so totally enamored it makes Beomgyu feel like he’s some sort of god. 

“Gods, you’re so amazing,” Taehyun says. “You’re so perfect and amazing and unique and kind and you’re funny and you’re so perfect.” 

“Why do you have to do that stuff?” Beomgyu says. “You compliment me like that and then you always have this expression and you look like you’re so in love with me that telling you to look away would kill you.”

Taehyun laughs. “You never know. We should be safe, though. A precaution in case it’s true.” 

“Oh my gods,” Beomgyu says. He laughs and Taehyun is still looking at him like he arranged his sun and stars. 

“Because you did,” he says. Beomgyu looks at him.

“I said that aloud?”

“Yeah. But you did.”

“I don’t think I did because I feel like I’d remember doing it.”

“You know I didn’t mean it literally,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu laughs at him and shoves snow in his face, running off. He can hear Taehyun chasing after him but, other than that, the world is blissfully quiet. Their laughter and the sound of them romping through the snow are the only sounds, and Beomgyu wouldn’t have it any other way. Even though he’s exhausted the next day, he doesn’t find it a problem. 

Beomgyu, however, begins to notice the stares. He has a feeling people know he’s being courted, though he’s not very subtle with the gifts Taehyun is constantly showering him with. What’s he supposed to do, though? Rejecting a courting gift can range from a rejection of the process to ending it. It can also be a sign telling an Alpha to work harder if an Omega has multiple suitors. Beomgyu doesn’t, nor does he want to stop the process, so he accepts the gifts. 

“Taehyunnie,” he whines when they meet up, “everyone knows I’m being courted!” 

“But isn’t that the point? Don’t you want everyone to know?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu huffs and clambers over him, sighing. He’s chewing on his lower lip and the Alpha looks over his shoulder. 

“You’re gonna make them bleed,” he says. Beomgyu chews harder. “Ew.” Beomgyu grins and bats his eyes. 

“You still love me, don’t you?” he says sweetly. Taehyun doesn’t answer and the older flicks his forehead. “Yah. Answer me or face the consequences of getting mauled.”

“I love you,” Taehyun says and it feels . . . different. It’s not their usual “Love you!” that they use and throw around. It’s deeper, with a firm foundation that makes Beomgyu shiver with excitement. It sends the heat hurtling to his cheeks, exploding until he’s as red as a tomato. Taehyun looks shy. 

“I love you too,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun smiles at him and they kiss, Beomgyu letting his arms hang off of the Alpha’s shoulders. It’s a lazy Saturday and they’re sitting a little ways away from campus in a tree, curled together in the branches. 

“I heard that I’m supposed to graduate when I’m eighteen,” Beomgyu says. “They’re gonna try and find me a husband or wife.” 

“I’m free whenever you are,” Taehyun teases. Beomgyu shoves him. He laughs and wraps an arm around his shoulders, smiling softly. Beomgyu rolls his eyes but leans his head against the shorter boy’s, closing his eyes. 

“It’s nice out here,” Beomgyu says. They’re both swaddled in fur cloaks and the wind turns their faces red, but the snow has begun to melt. The sun, though weak, is warm against Beomgyu’s skin, though it might be because he’s blushing so much. 

“It’s nicer with you.”

“I gave you that one.”

“Mm.” Beomgyu closes his eyes and sighs, humming to himself. 

“Don’t fall asleep up here,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu grunts. He closes his eyes and loses the tension in his muscles, and then he falls back, hooking his legs around the branch. Taehyun yelps in surprise and grabs him, which is a factor Beomgyu should’ve expected but didn’t, and now he’s hanging from his legs for dear life while Taehyun swings beneath him. 

“A miscalculation has been made in the decision,” Beomgyu says. His dress has fallen around them, so only his legs and Taehyun’s feet are visible. The rest is covered by Beomgyu’s dress and Taehyun’s cloak. 

“Agreed.”

“I don’t know how to get down, just so you know.”

“I’m going to drop down.” 

“Wait-”

Taehyun lands with yet another yelp. Beomgyu can see him sprawled on the ground in the mud, lying on his back. 

“Ow. But, uh, you can-” Beomgyu grabs the branch and hoists himself back up so he’s sitting on the branch, looking down at Taehyun. The Alpha stares up at him, raising an eyebrow. 

“Welp, bye,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu squawks in surprise. 

“You’re leaving me?! This is the greatest betrayal in the entire world!” Taehyun laughs and waves over his shoulder. 

“Love you!” Beomgyu yells for Taehyun to come back before he jumps from the tree, shifting into a wolf as he lands on the ground and chases after the Alpha. Taehyun looks over his shoulder and then yells in surprise, running off. They run through the forest until Beomgyu finally decides to further sully Taehyun’s cloak, jumping at him and pinning him down. Taehyun laughs when it happens, twisting away and continuing the chase, this time, shifted as well. 

It’s only a few minutes into the afternoon that Taehyun has to leave. He apologizes and promises to visit for his birthday. Beomgyu shrugs and dismisses it, saying he should visit his father. 

Beomgyu would be lying, though, if he said he didn’t feel dread weighing heavily in his stomach. He walks through the city, as there aren’t any carriages he could take. Which, he supposes, is fine as shifting is a great method of transportation. 

“Kang-Dae-ssi?” he says softly when he gets to the brothel. The man’s eyes widen when he sees the boy, taking in his well-taken care of appearance. Beomgyu shifts in place, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Beomgyu?”

“Yeah. I’m here to see my father?” 

“Lucky you, he’s free. Dunno where he is.” Beomgyu nods in thanks. 

“Is Hanna-Noona here by any chance?” 

“Out with your father. Say, you’re turning seventeen soon, aren’t you?” 

“Yeah. They’re booting me out then.” 

“Well, I’ll be looking forward to getting back my breadwinner.” Beomgyu clenches his fists and turns around, hustling to the marketplace. 

“Appa!” he calls into the crowd, craning his neck. He dodges around the other pedestrians, knowing he probably sticks out like a sore thumb. His clothes are nice, his cloak new and unlike those of the people around him, who wear threadbare garments clearly not made to last as long as they have. “Appa!”

“Beomgyu?” someone says. The boy looks in the direction of the voice and then runs to Hanna, hugging her. 

“Auntie Hanna!” he says. His father is standing beside the woman, looking uncomfortable. Beomgyu pulls away from the woman and stares at Dae-Jung, wringing his hands and chewing on his lower lip. 

“Beomgyu,” Dae-Jung says, his voice soft and tentative. 

Beomgyu pulls him into his arms, bending down to hug him. His father smells like Alpha but, hidden beneath it all, there’s the faint scent of baking bread and cinnamon. 

“Hi, Appa,” he breathes. Dae-Jung wraps his arms around his son and squeezes him closer, crying quietly. 

“My baby,” he says weakly. “My sweet, sweet baby. My little bear. You came back.”

“Of course.” Dae-Jung keeps crying, holding onto Beomgyu so tightly it makes the boy wonder if his father thinks he’ll disappear. 

“How have you been, Appa?” Beomgyu says when his father can speak to him. The man shrugs. 

“I’m okay,” he says. “Have you enjoyed school? Do you have friends? Is-”

“It’s alright, Appa,” Beomgyu says. “I’m happy there.” 

“You’re studying hard, right?” Beomgyu nods, linking arms with his father. They walk slowly through the marketplace, not really paying anyone any attention. 

“Yeah.” 

“Are- are you still seeing him?” Dae-Jung says. Beomgyu swallows hard. He looks at the ground. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I am,” he says. The air sours between them and Beomgyu loosens his hold. He takes a few steps away, still focused on the stalls to his left. 

“You know you’ll both be getting married to different people,” he says. Beomgyu shrugs.

“I’m still going to see him.” 

“Don’t come crying to me when he throws you out.” Beomgyu stiffens. 

“Will you stop that?” he says. “Taehyun- he’s not like that! You’ve never even met him! How would you know anything? Appa, it’s my day with you and all you ever want to do is argue about Taehyun!” 

“Because I’m trying to protect you!”

“I’m old enough to make my own decisions, Appa!” Beomgyu says. He clenches his fists at his sides. “You can’t keep me in a gilded cage forever, okay? I’m- if you ever want me to learn anything, you’ll have to let me screw up!”

“You’re not going to be getting pregnant because you were reckless!” 

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m _so_ irresponsible,” Beomgyu hisses, jabbing a finger at the man. “I totally haven’t passed all of my classes because I studied and I worked hard and I tried.”

“Have you ever bothered seeing yourself through my eyes? Do you know what I see? Have you ever thought of how I’m trying to make you better than I was? Than I am? I don’t want- you don’t want to end up like me!” 

“‘Cause I’m such a burden,” Beomgyu says, rolling his eyes. Dae-Jung opens his mouth to say something, but Beomgyu cuts him off. “If all you want to do is argue about my quote-unquote _life decisions_ , then I’m leaving. I was hoping we could’ve done something for my birthday, but I guess not.” He doesn’t look back as he shoves through the crowd, trying not to cry. 

His father doesn’t follow. 

-

[ _Over And Over Again (Cover)_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOHmc7htijg)

Somehow, Taehyun seems to know how to take his mind off of things. It’s late at night and they’re not visiting each other but, suddenly, there’s a rock thrown at his window. It startles Beomgyu awake and he groans, sitting up. Another rock is thrown and the Omega stands up, rubbing his eyes as he walks over to open the window. 

“Beomgyu!” someone says. The boy looks down and there’s Taehyun, hugging himself as he shivers beneath in the cold. Beomgyu looks around to make sure no one’s awake before getting ready to scold the younger. 

“What are you doing here?” he says. “It’s freezing, you idiot!” 

“It’s your birthday, though,” Taehyun says, his breath making white puffs of steam rise up in the air. Beomgyu’s eyes widen and he shakes his head, huffing. He’s holding a cardigan over his shoulders, shivering in the night air. 

“We’re meeting up tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, but I wanted to see you now. And I have an extra birthday present.” 

“What?” Beomgyu says, tilting his head. But Taehyun is already getting ready, shifting from foot to foot. He thinks he can hear the Alpha mumble something about embarrassing himself under his breath, but he doesn’t know. 

“ _From the way you smile to the way you look, you capture me unlike no other. From the first hello, yeah, that’s all it took. And suddenly, we had each other.”_ He’s grinning. “ _And I won’t leave you, always be true. One plus one, two for life, over and over again.”_ Beomgyu leans his chin on his hand, shaking his head. 

“ _So don’t ever think I need more, I’ve got the one to live for. No one else will do and I’m telling you, just put your heart in my hands! Promise it won’t get broken, we’ll never forget this moment, we’ll stay brand new ‘cause I love you, over and over again.”_ He pauses, taking a breath and humming a bit. _“Over and over again.”_ He fills the pause with humming, then looking up and meeting Beomgyu’s eyes. 

“ _Boy, when I’m with you I lose track of time. When I’m without you, you’re stuck on my mind. Be all you need till the day that I die, I’ll love you, over and over again!”_ Isabelle is awake, making her way over. Beomgyu doesn’t notice.

 _“So don’t ever think I need more,”_ Taehyun sings quietly. “ _I’ve got the one to live for. No one else will do, yeah, I’m telling you, just put your heart in my hands! Promise it won’t get broken, we’ll never forget this moment, we’ll stay brand new ‘cause I love you, over and over again.”_ He’s grinning wildly now and Beomgyu is singing along quietly, 

“ _Over and over again,”_ they finish together, both smiling at one another. Taehyun is doing his open-mouthed smile and his eyes crinkle around the corners, his large dimple appearing. Beomgyu blows him a kiss but Taehyun’s too dazed to catch it. It makes Beomgyu laugh quietly, shaking his head. 

“I love you too,” he says. Taehyun smiles even more and he looks so adorable standing there, his brown eyes wide and so lovesick. And then, he starts climbing up the wall, resting on the sill. 

“May I have a kiss?” he says sweetly and oh-so innocently. Beomgyu laughs and presses their lips together, cupping his face. Taehyun’s lips are chapped, presumably from standing in the cold for so long, but Beomgyu can’t be sure. 

“You’re so dorky,” he says. Taehyun smiles and leans their foreheads together, his eyes closed. 

“Happy birthday, angel,” is his response. Beomgyu laughs and kisses his cheek. 

“Thank you,” he says. “Ten out of ten. My favorite birthday present. I love you so much.” Taehyun grins like a little boy who’s just been told he gets extra desert. 

“You _are_ courting him!” Isabelle says, interrupting them.

“Can you not?” Beomgyu says, turning around. “We’re having a moment here.” 

“Yeah, okay, fine,” Isabelle says. “You can come in,” she says to Taehyun. The Alpha crinkles his nose when she turns around but he swings his legs over the windowsill, smiling at Beomgyu. 

“When do your classes end tomorrow?”

“Um-”

“Late afternoon!” Beomgyu glares at his roommate. 

“Let’s talk outside,” he says. Taehyun nods and Beomgyu grabs a cloak and shoes, following Taehyun down. 

“Sorry,” he says. Taehyun shrugs.

“S’okay. But, um, I have a spar with another prince and was, um, I was wondering if you’d, um, if you’d like to come? It’s open to the public so you can-”

“Of course I will,” Beomgyu says. He laughs. “Why wouldn’t I?” Taehyun grins even more and Beomgyu shakes his head, rolling his eyes. “I can’t believe you didn’t expect this of me. You’ll fight for me, right?” 

“Who else?” Taehyun says. 

“Dance with me?” Taehyun snorts but he takes Beomgyu’s hand and rests the other on his hip, beginning to lead him into a waltz.

“There isn’t even any music,” the Alpha says as they dance. Beomgyu grins and begins humming the song from earlier, making sure Taehyun can hear. He turns bright red and looks away, embarrassed and adorable. Beomgyu’s nightgown drags in the dirt and it stains the hem, though he doesn’t quite care. Taehyun looks ethereal like this, staring at him and smiling and blushing. If he was with anyone else, Beomgyu thinks he’d be talking their ear off, but something about Taehyun is that he doesn’t always need to fill the silence between them. 

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to, though, as Beomgyu launches into a speech about his next project, something he isn’t quite sure how to do and, if he’s being honest, doesn’t really care about. Beomgyu isn’t even sure if he’s saying anything as he’s caught himself rambling random words but Taehyun doesn’t seem to mind, his eyes droopy and lovesick. 

However, he has to leave. But not without kissing Beomgyu and telling him one of his presents will come to his room and a recommendation that he should wear it to the spectacle. 

“I love you,” he says. 

“I love you too.” Taehyun kisses him again, a final time, but Beomgyu still chases his lips.

“A peck, just a little one, please?” Taehyun rolls his eyes but obliges, then runs off. Beomgyu watches, shivering, before heading back up the wall. He toes off his shoes and changes into a different set of pajamas, getting in bed. Isabelle is strangely quiet. 

The next morning, as expected, a package is found on Beomgyu’s bed. He grins and opens the box, dropping it when he sees its contents. A blood-red, silk velvet dress, simple though beautiful. Beomgyu pulls it out and the fabric feels wondrous against his fingertips as he stares at it. 

“Gods, he’s too much sometimes,” he says aloud. Beomgyu begins to change, taking time to admire the dress as he does. The back is open and reveals a large section of his back, though it’ll be covered by his cloak. The sleeves encompass his hands so much that only his fingertips are visible, but he’s happy it lacks one of the large, pompous skirts often worn by the richer Omegas of society. Beomgyu spins and almost trips on the dress, then decides it’s not something for spinning. He looks in the mirror and then at the clock and realizes that maybe he should get to class. 

As expected, Beomgyu is late. He sits down and looks at his hands, wringing his hands. He’s chewing on his lower lip and can taste blood, though it’s not-

“Beomgyu, you should take care of that.” 

“Huh?” 

“Your lips are very red.” Beomgyu touches the skin and frowns when he finds his fingertips coating in blood. 

“Huh.” 

“Do you have a handkerchief, Mr. Choi?” Beomgyu frowns. 

“I think so?” He looks around, finds no pockets, and shakes his head. “Well, not anymore. Do you?” The teacher looks a bit mortified as he hands Beomgyu a handkerchief, the boy using it to wipe his lips. He runs his tongue over his teeth and yup, that’s a lot of blood. Whoops. 

“Sorry,” he says when he finishes. The teacher nods and turns back to the blackboard, rambling about something Beomgyu’s already losing interest in. He can tell he isn’t the only one. 

“Excuse me, sir,” he says, raising his hand, “but what about today’s jousting rounds? The ones with Prince Taehyun?” 

“You all will be attending, don’t worry. Though, I’d encourage you not to get your hopes up. A few other royals will be coming to watch him.” Beomgyu nods, putting his hand down. 

“As I was saying, courting rituals. They’re when two individuals, specifically an Alpha and Omega-” 

“What about Betas? Or two Alphas? Or Omegas?” Beomgyu says before he can stop himself. Everyone turns to look at him and Beomgyu stares back. Well, it _is_ a legitimate question.

“Depending on each Betas’ gender, they can marry. Alphas don’t go with Alphas and Omegas don’t go with Omegas. They can’t reproduce.”

Beomgyu frowns, but stays silent. He can’t say he enjoys the answer, though it doesn’t seem like there are any openings for continuing the discussion. 

Later, after he’s finished his classes, Beomgyu gets dressed. He puts in his favorite earrings and grabs his cloak, pulling it on before running as fast as he can to get out. Apparently, they’re all supposed to go together. 

If Beomgyu’s going that way, well then he apparently can’t shift. 

The wolf runs across the campus, headed toward the arena. He gets close enough to shift back and begins walking, eyes wide. It’s in a richer part of the city, somewhere he’s never been. 

Suddenly, a hand grabs his own. Beomgyu squeaks in surprise, staring at the guard with a fearful expression. 

“This way, please,” she says. Beomgyu follows as he doesn’t have any other choice, heart pounding. He’s led inside and to a seat close to the ring and Beomgyu looks around, taking in the sights before him. The king sits alone in his booth, the thrones for his wife and two sons empty. It makes Beomgyu frown because he’s sure that the prince Taehyun’s competing with would be looking to take Yeonjun’s hand in marriage, though he might be wrong. Beomgyu stops paying attention, though, when they begin announcing the events. He zones out and waits for Taehyun. 

It isn’t long before he appears. Beomgyu cheers with the rest of the crowd, feeling giddy. Taehyun notices him and his smile brightens, almost riding over. Beomgyu tries to tell him when he does and Taehyun looks down, embarrassed, before stopping the horse. The Omega hides his laughter behind his hand and then straightens out as the other prince appears. They both dismount and draw their swords, though the weapons are dulled. Beomgyu crosses his legs as he watches, his eyes wide. Taehyun isn’t short, but Beomgyu is taller than him. He’s sure the Alpha is flourishing because he stands a little bit taller than his opponent. 

They begin and Taehyun continuously proves his ability. His movements are graceful and smooth, though his opponent also works well. It’s interesting to compare the styles, though. Taehyun moves fluidly while the other prince has choppier attacks. Beomgyu thinks he’s heard of gladiator competitions for Omegas in marriage, something that makes him wonder about Yeonjun for the second time. Strange. 

The princes fight late into the day, well-matched against one another. Yet Taehyun gains the upper hand and finally, finally pins the other prince. He bows and, as tradition states, is allowed a kiss from his choice in the crowd. Beomgyu is pretty sure he’s grinning like a doofus as Taehyun pulls his helmet off and rides toward him, grinning back. 

“May I?” he says softly as soon as he’s close enough. 

“I don’t know,” Beomgyu says, tugging him forward. “May you?” They kiss but, to save face, have to pull away earlier than either boy would like. 

“Come to the castle later?” Taehyun whispers. Beomgyu nods and then off the prince goes, waving. Beomgyu smiles as he leaves, his heart dancing happily in his chest. 

That night, he sneaks out of the dorm and into the castle Taehyun greets him with a smile as he pulls the Omega into his arms, kissing him softly. 

“You were so gorgeous in that dress,” he says. “I loved it so much, you look so amazing in everything, don’t you?” 

“Oh my gods, be quiet and kiss me.” Taehyun laughs as he holds Beomgyu’s hips and the Omega cups his face as they tumble onto the bed. 

“When- when’s your heat?” Taehyun pants out between kisses. 

“Two weeks. Missed you so much last time, even more than usual.” 

“I love you so much, I’m sorry, angel, I missed you too.” Taehyun kisses him again, rolling his hips in a way that has Beomgyu gasping. His grip around the Alpha’s middle tightens as he returns the favor, holding tightly to Taehyun’s shoulders. Taehyun is kissing down his neck, sucking a hickey onto his pulse point. 

“Y-yah,” Beomgyu says weakly, “people are gonna see.” Taehyun looks up at him through hooded eyes, raising an eyebrow.

“You like it, though,” he purrs into Beomgyu’s ear. “You just _love_ it when everyone can see how I can’t keep my hands off of you, don’t you?” Beomgyu whines. 

“H-Hyun, baby, _please_ ,” he says. Taehyun laughs breathily and kisses him again, continuing to roll his hips and it’s so, so _amazing_ that it has Beomgyu seeing stars. He steps back to pull his shirt off and Beomgyu sits up, running a hand through his hair. Taehyun stares at him, tilting his head. Beomgyu is flushed red and his lips are swollen, though Taehyun isn’t very different. But he’s somehow more composed even though his hair is disheveled from Beomgyu’s fingers dragging through it and he’s shirtless. But he’s smirking like he’s got all the time in the world. 

“Please _what?_ ”

-

As time passes, Beomgyu falls more in love with Taehyun. The schoolyear drags itself slowly along the ground, but he’s got Taehyun. 

His relationship with his father, on the other hand, is rapidly deteriorating. And Beomgyu supposes he can see where Dae-Jung is coming from. He got pregnant at sixteen and abandoned whatever education he could’ve been getting, Now, he’s watching as his son is courted by an Alpha prince. But Beomgyu can understand that he has to be careful about having kids. He knows Taehyun won’t abandon him, but he’s scared of what could happen to the fragments of the relationship he has with his father. 

Honestly, Beomgyu never thought they’d end up this way. He has nightmares when he wakes up to find his father gone before Beomgyu gets a chance to tell him how much he loves him. They haven’t seen one another since the incident in the marketplace, though Beomgyu would be lying if he said he enjoyed it. He just kind of misses his dad. 

-

Summer comes, as does Beomgyu’s first true encounter with Yeonjun. He’s just woken up and technically isn’t supposed to be in the castle. But Beomgyu isn’t keen on going home to the brothel, so he and Taehyun have decided to shift around where Beomgyu stays. Well, actually, Taehyun sneaks a lot of food into his room while Beomgyu hides under the bed during the day. Or when other people are inside.

Beomgyu sits up and stretches, jumping when the door is thrown open. 

Prince Yeonjun stands in the doorway, wearing only his underclothes, staring at Beomgyu with wide eyes. The other Omega squeaks and grabs Taehyun’s sheets, covering himself as he stares at the prince. 

“Who are you?” Yeonjun says, though it sounds like he already has an idea. 

“B-Beomgyu,” he says. He bows, trying to keep the prince from ratting him out. “Your Highness.” He looks over the older Omega’s attire and tries not to frown. “You’re- where are your clothes?” The prince looks down. 

“Ah, yes, clothes,” he says, laughing nervously. “Let’s just say I didn’t feel like wearing any.” Beomgyu can’t help it as he laughs and pulls the blanket closer, moving back to rest against the cushions. Before they can continue their conversation any further, there’s the sound of footsteps. Beomgyu ducks under the bed after shoving his clothes under, curling up. He can hear Yeonjun being taken back to his room and Beomgyu shivers, his heart slowly crawling out of his throat. 

When Taehyun comes in with lunch, Beomgyu tells him about the encounter. The prince laughs as Beomgyu nibbles on his food, feeling spacey. 

“I think I’m gonna go see my dad,” he says suddenly. “I haven’t seen him in a long time. I miss him.” 

“Okay,” Taehyun says. “Be safe, though. You can always come back, yeah?” Beomgyu nods, kissing his cheek. 

“I love you,” he says. Taehyun nods. 

“See you.” Beomgyu waves as he pulls his clothes on, opening the window and heading out. 

There’s a gross feeling in his stomach when he arrives at the brothel. He knocks on the door and stares Kang-Dae down. 

“Where’s Appa?” he says. 

“Working. You’ll have to wait.” Beomgyu shifts uncomfortably and nods before heading up the creaking stairs to his old room. 

His bed is still in place. It hardly smells like him, but Beomgyu can find faint traces of honeysuckle and oranges on it. He looks over at his father’s bed and finds it to be as neat as ever, everything clean and organized. He stands up and walks over to the chest where his things were, blowing the dust off. He opens it and there are his clothes, all of them too small now. Beomgyu’s hands are shaking as he picks up the closest dress, still able to smell himself on it. 

“Beomgyu?” The boy turns around, eyes widening when he sees his father. 

“Hi, Appa,” he says. The man stares at him, his expression unreadable. Beomgyu shifts uncomfortably, folding his hands behind his back. 

“Why are you here?” Beomgyu wipes his eyes. 

“I, um, I missed you,” he says. 

“Are you pregnant?” 

“No.” 

“Are- you’re still seeing him.”

“Yeah.” 

“Then why are you here?” Beomgyu clenches his fists. 

“Because I thought you missed me too,” he says. He shrugs. “I guess I was wrong.” Beomgyu pushes past the man, heading out. It’s stifling to be there, to be in that room, standing across from his father as he says he doesn’t want to see him. What did Beomgyu even expect? 

He heads out and wanders the streets, feeling tired. It isn’t until he bumps into an Alpha who smells strangely of lavender and rainstorms that he’s dragged out of it. 

“Excuse me,” Beomgyu says. 

“Sorry,” the man says. He walks around Beomgyu and the Omega stares after him, frowning. He dismisses it, though, and heads off, continuing to wander. He’s thinking of sleeping in the forest tonight. It’s not too hot. 

He does, in fact, sleep in the forest. Beomgyu wakes up and stretches, shaking his fur. He wanders through the brush, following his tracks back to the town. Beomgyu wanders around, humming quietly. He thinks he’s supposed to meet Taehyun today. 

As soon as he sees the Alpha, he’s sure there’s something wrong. 

“C’mere, baby,” Beomgyu says, opening his arms. Taehyun rests his head against his shoulder and cries, his arms wrapped around his middle. He cries quietly into Beomgyu’s shoulder, tears staining the older boy’s clothes. Beomgyu pets his hair, humming. He closes his eyes, leaning against the pillows. 

“Would- would you be okay if I introduced you to my brother?” 

“I don’t see why not.” 

Taehyun looks up at him. “I want to. Someday.” 

“Soon, I hope,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun looks away. 

“I fought with him,” he says. “Earlier, he asked about you, and I was scared. I didn’t- I don’t even know, I wasn’t thinking. He’s been avoiding me.” Beomgyu tilts his head, cupping the Alpha’s face. 

“Try,” he says softly. “It’ll happen with time, just don’t make my mistakes.” 

-

Taehyun does end up introducing Beomgyu to Yeonjun. The two get along well and Beomgyu enjoys his Hyung’s presence. It’s nice to have someone older around. Also, it’s fun to make fun of his crush on Soobin. Hueningkai, a friend of Yeonjun’s, joins their circle. Beomgyu likes how no one seems to ask about his past, how they respect his boundaries. Taehyun might’ve told them, but Beomgyu doesn’t know. Either way, he’s thankful. 

When he’s nineteen, Beomgyu decides he wants to mate Taehyun. 

“My next heat,” he says softly, “will you do it?” Taehyun looks over at him. 

“Do what?” 

“Mate me?” Taehyun’s eyes widen. 

“Really?” Beomgyu shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant. 

“Yeah.” He receives a loaded silence and Beomgyu bites his lip, looking away. There’s a sudden kiss pressed against the nape of his neck and he looks over at Taehyun, his eyes wide. 

“It’d be an honor,” he says. Beomgyu squeals and jumps on him, kissing the Alpha. Taehyun grins against his lips before pulling away, smiling at him with more fondness than Beomgyu’s ever seen. 

His heat seems to sense his eagerness and it hits Beomgyu like a wagon full of bricks the next week. Beomgyu doesn’t know what excuse Taehyun uses but he comes into the room and Beomgyu feels like he has a fever, panting heavily as he looks around for the prince. Taehyun’s skin is cold and he places a soothing hand on his thigh, rubbing circles into the skin. Beomgyu’s already made a nest in his bed and he stares up at the Alpha, feverish and sweating. 

“Cuddle?” Taehyun laughs and pulls his shirt off, handing it to Beomgyu to add to his nest, then climbs in. Beomgyu nuzzles him, wrapping his legs around his middle and closing his eyes as he’s wrapped up in the prince’s embrace. The best solution to soothing preheat symptoms is sleep. 

Beomgyu finally wakes up back in his right mind with a bite mark on his neck. Taehyun has one too and the older boy nuzzles it, smiling when he can smell their scents intermingling. He can smell something else too, but he doesn’t know what it is. Beomgyu shrugs it off and curls up next to the Alpha, closing his eyes and going back to sleep. 

Luck doesn’t seem to be on their side, however, when Taehyun breaks the news of a ball in Dragon City they’ve been invited to. “They” excluding everyone not part of the royal family. And, for some reason, it stresses Beomgyu out even more than usual and he feels close to tears when he hears the news. 

“You- you’re leaving?” he says, his eyes wide. “What about me?” 

“I’ll be back, don’t worry,” Taehyun promises, holding his hands. “You’re not going to have time to miss me, I promise.” Beomgyu hugs Taehyun and tries not to cry, but his shoulder is wet with tears anyway. He sniffles and buries his face in the crook of his lover’s neck, still crying. He doesn’t know what to do. 

Later, they all bid the two princes goodbye. Yeonjun keeps sending him weird looks but Beomgyu is too scared about losing Taehyun, telling him constantly how much he loves him. And then, he and Hueningkai are forced to leave. 

“Hyung,” the Beta says as they walk off, “I think you’re pregnant.” Beomgyu squawks in surprise. 

“What?” he demands. Hueningkai holds his hands up in surrender and tries to shrug. 

“Magic senses! You have more than usual! Guess!” Beomgyu looks down at his stomach. 

“Wait, you mean it?” he says, his eyes wide. Hueningkai still has his hands up but he nods frantically. “We’re going to a doctor, c’mon, Ningnig.” He grabs the boy by his wrist and begins to weave through the crowd, headed to the clinic that his father went to. 

“Excuse me,” Beomgyu says when he gets inside, “but he thinks I’m pregnant. Am I pregnant?” The nurse stares at him with wide eyes. 

“Are you two-”

“No, no! He’s not my type, not at all. But my mate is traveling on an unexpected-”

“I’d recommend checking on him before he goes off on several tangents and keeps us all here for the rest of the week,” Hueningkai “whispers” to the nurse. She nods and leads them to a small room where a doctor is. 

“Sir, could you check if this young man is pregnant?” she says to the doctor. The man nods and places a hand on Beomgyu’s stomach, closing his eyes. After a few seconds, he pulls away with a smile. 

“Congratulations!” he says. “You’re pregnant!” 

Beomgyu faints. 

He wakes up in a small cot. The Omega sits straight up and looks around, finding Hueningkai but no one else he can recognize. The memories come flooding back to him and Beomgyu looks down at his stomach, then drops his head to his hands and sobs. The nurse is rubbing his back and Beomgyu can’t stop crying. 

_I can’t believe it,_ he thinks. _Gods, I’m so_ stupid _._

“Where’s his mate?” the doctor whispers to Hueningkai. 

“Travelling. It was an unexpected occurrence and we don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“Make sure you get them back together as soon as possible. For now, I’d recommend taking him to a parent.” Beomgyu sobs even harder. He can’t face his father right now, maybe not ever. He’s so _stupid_. 

“Hyung?” Hueningkai says, shaking him lightly. “Let’s go find your dad, yeah? He’ll know what to do.” Having no other options, Beomgyu stands up and leans on the taller boy as he’s led out of the room and back into the streets, still unable to quell his tears. 

“Do you know which way to go?” the Beta says. Beomgyu nods and wipes his tears away, still sniffling as he begins to trudge through the streets. It’s clear Hueningkai’s never been here before, his eyes wide and fearful. Beomgyu knows the streets well as he leads the Beta to the brothel, stopping in front of the door. 

“Kang-Dae-ssi!” he says loudly. It isn’t long before the man opens the door, taking in the puffy-eyed Omega and his friend. 

“He’s upstairs,” he says. Beomgyu nods and tugs Hueningkai inside, walking up the stairs. It still smells disgusting, even closed. 

“Appa?” Beomgyu says, knocking on the door. It opens and there’s Hanna, staring at Beomgyu. 

“Beomgyu?” she says. 

“Hi, Auntie,” he says. He gestures at Hueningkai. “This is my friend, Hueningkai. Um, may we come in?” The other Omega nods and steps aside, allowing the two boys into the room. 

“Beomgyu?” Dae-Jung says. “What-”

“Appa, I’m pregnant.” Maybe some buildup would’ve been nice, but Beomgyu needs to say it now. He isn’t sure if he’ll be able to say it later. 

But his father laughs. He shakes his head as he doubles over, clutching his stomach. 

“Pregnant?” he says, sounding as if it’s the most preposterous thing in the world. “Yah, Beomgyu, don’t make jokes like that.” 

“I’m serious, Appa.” The laughter stops. 

“No, you’re not,” the man says, standing up. “You aren’t serious because you have never planned to follow in my footsteps.” 

Beomgyu is silent. 

“You’re- you’re fucking serious?” Dae-Jung says, his eyes widening. Beomgyu nods. “You got pregnant?!”

“Yes.” 

“It was that boy, wasn’t it? And now you’re never seeing him again and that’s why you came here with a new boy- I didn’t raise you like this!” Dae-Jung yells. Beomgyu bristles. 

“Appa,” he warns, “don’t-”

“No! I didn’t raise my son to be a slut! I didn’t teach you to sleep with all the boys, what are you doing?! I raised you to- I send you to a good school but all you do is get knocked up! And then you come to me and you’re crying because he left you as soon as he was faced with responsibility-”

“That’s not true!” Beomgyu yells. “Taehyun doesn’t even know!” 

“Oh, so he left before you woke up?” Dae-Jung says sarcastically. 

“He had to go to the capital! Stop acting like you know him because you think we’re the same person! Newsflash, Appa, we aren’t!”

“Yeah, we really aren’t,” his father says bitterly. “You know how I know? Because when I got pregnant, I didn’t go and fuck the next guy who came up!” 

“I’m not fucking him!” Beomgyu yells. “He’s a kid!”

“Oh, and you aren’t? You think ‘cause you're carrying an _heir to the throne_ that you’re so high and mighty, don’t you?! You think they’re gonna let a _whore_ put his kid on the throne? You’re a fool, Beomgyu. A damned fool.” 

“Look, I came here for you to support me!” Beomgyu says. “I didn’t come here for you to scream at me! I didn’t want this!”

“Well now you gotta live with it,” Dae-Jung hisses. “You’re never escaping it, now grow up!” 

“I’m growing up, but it’d be nice if you took your head out of your ass and started trying to help instead of yelling at me!” 

“Get out.” Beomgyu throws his hands in the air. 

“Fine. Why did I _ever_ think my own _father_ would help me while I was pregnant? I don’t know!” 

“Get out of this place! I don’t want to see you again!” 

“Fine! We’re leaving! I hope it makes you happy that you’ve just kicked your only son to the curb!” Beomgyu grabs Hueningkai by the wrist and tugs him out, seething. 

“I’m nineteen years old,” Beomgyu hisses. “I’ve graduated already! He could’ve at least taken care of me.” 

“I think he was just really sad,” Hueningkai says. “Well, you probably don’t want to hear this, so I’ll stop.” 

“Yeah,” Beomgyu says as they continue to walk aimlessly, “good choice.” 

“But, um, where are we going?” Beomgyu stops. 

“I don’t know.” 

“I have a place, if you want-”

“Yes. Let’s go there.” Hueningkai nods and they begin walking, weaving through the city. 

“What do you think Hyun and Jun-Hyung are doing?” Beomgyu says. 

“Sleeping. It’s two days to get to the capital from here.” 

“Oh. Right.” Hueningkai looks over his shoulder and smiles. 

“He’ll be back soon, don’t worry about it. C’mon, we’re almost there.” 

They end up at a tower. Hueningkai opens the door and locks it after they get inside, heading up a spiral staircase. 

“Jimin-Hyung!” he says. There’s the sound of someone walking down a creaking set of wooden stairs and a young man appears, shorter than both Beomgyu and his accomplice. 

“Kai, what is it?” he says. “You in trouble again, ‘cause-”

“No, no, don’t worry,” the boy says. “We just needed a place to stay.” 

“Oh, okay. Is that Beomgyu-ssi?” 

“Uh-huh.” Jimin smiles and bows to the Omega. 

“Third door to the right,” he says. “That’s the guest room. Holler if you need anything, yeah?” Beomgyu nods, following Hueningkai down the hall. The Beta’s room comes before Beomgyu’s so he’s left to show himself around, staring at the small bed and dresser. There’s a wash basin on top of it and a jug of water, Beomgyu using them to splash his face. He finds something relatively close to his size and pulls it on, dropping his dress on the ground. Beomgyu climbs into the bed, feeling the urge to make a nest. He uses his dress and arranges it until it’s a pathetic half-circle, the worst nest he’s ever seen. He sighs and shifts, curling up. 

After too many attempts to go to sleep, Beomgyu picks up his dress and trudges to Hueningkai’s room. He knocks on the door and the Beta appears, though he looks like he hasn’t been trying to sleep. 

“Hyung?” 

“C’I sleep here?” he says. Hueningkai nods, stepping to the side. Beomgyu picks his clothes up from the ground and puts them on the bed, making a nest. It’s far better than the first one and he sighs, crawling in. Hueningkai stands at the edge, giving him a questioning look. He knows better than to enter without permission. 

“Yeah, come in,” Beomgyu says, patting the space beside him. The Beta curls up beside him and Beomgyu drapes his body over the younger, closing his eyes and praying for sleep to come. 

He wakes up late into the morning, finding a tray with some bread, cheese, and milk on it. Oh, and there’s an apple. Beomgyu nibbles on the fruit, picking off pieces of the bread. He doesn’t know where Hueningkai or Jimin are, and the Beta doesn’t have a scent to follow. Beomgyu doesn’t know Jimin’s scent well enough to track him in a crowd, but the distinct though faint smell of coffee and sandalwood is good telling. He stands up and meanders down the hall, sniffing. Beomgyu stops in front of the door but he’s stopped when he catches wind of something else. It’s cinnamony and musky, Beomgyu’s nose twitching. He frowns but ignores it, knocking on his host’s door. 

“Jimin-ssi?” he says. “Jimin-ssi, are you there?” The hall remains silent and Beomgyu frowns, opening the door. As expected, the room is empty, but something catches his eye. Beomgyu stares at the mask, walking forward and picking it up. He knows who it belongs to. 

“The Nine-Tailed Fox?” he mumbles. He looks up and begins searching the room for anay other hints, finding a torn cloak and several assorted weapons and poisons. “The Nine-Tailed Fox,” he confirms to himself. He walks out and closes the door, heading toward the faint smell of coffee. The pot is empty but there’s a note tacked onto the wall. Beomgyu leans down to read it. 

_Hey, Hyung!_ _  
_ _Sorry, something came up for Jimin-Hyung and I had to go to meet up with someone, but you’re free to explore! There’s a library on the third floor in case you get bored._

_-Kai_

Beomgyu rolls his eyes, leaving the note as he heads to the library. There isn’t much to do. If Taehyun was here, he’d probably end up taking a nap. But Beomgyu is alone, so he supposes he’ll read what he wants. 

He spends the day alone. Which, since his hormones are beginning to act up, isn’t the best thing. Beomgyu starts crying and curls up in bed with his, Jimin, and Hueningkai’s clothes. He doesn’t even know Jimin, but the smell of an Alpha is more comforting than just honeysuckle and oranges. Beomgyu is almost certain he could sneak into the castle to steal some of Taehyun and Yeonjun’s clothes, but he isn’t in the mood to do so. He keeps peeing, gods, why is it already so _hard_? Beomgyu sits down but wait! His bladder is suddenly screaming and off he goes, then, as soon as he sits back down, he’s back up again!

He just hopes it’s worth it. 

He goes to sleep alone (which is a feat in itself), then wakes up to Hueningkai excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“Taehyun-Hyung is coming back!” he says and, at this early in the morning, Beomgyu doesn’t think it’s the best thing to say because he’s bolting out of bed and running as fast as he can to the door until he’s grabbed and dragged back upstairs. 

“He’s not back yet,” the Beta says. “It’ll be a day before you see him.” Beomgyu hits him. 

“You said he was coming back!”

“I didn’t mean right now!” Beomgyu pouts and crosses his arms, turning away.

“You could’ve said that,” he says. He sighs and stands up, heading toward his room. Well. Hueningkai’s room that Beomgyu has decided to share. He curls up in bed and sighs, closing his eyes and trying to sleep. 

The day Taehyun is set to come back, Beomgyu sneaks into his room. This is after keeping an eye on the servants cleaning it, heading in and out of the place. Beomgyu sits on his bed and stuffs his face into a pillow, filling his lungs with his mate’s scent. He can even smell himself on it and Beomgyu curls up on the bed, his eyes fluttering. 

Taehyun doesn’t get back till the late afternoon, opening the door to find a half-sleeping Beomgyu on his bed. 

“Hey, angel,” he says softly to wake his mate up. Beomgyu hums and opens his eyes, tilting his head. 

“You’re back,” he says. Taehyun smiles and nods. 

“Yeah. How’re you feeling?” 

“Pregnant,” Beomgyu says thoughtlessly. Taehyun’s eyes widen. 

“You- you’re- you’re pregnant?” he says. Beomgyu nods. 

“Yeah.” The Alpha laughs and picks him up, spinning him around in a circle.

“You’re pregnant!” he says, breathlessly happy. “I’m gonna be a dad!” 

“You’re so happy about this,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun nods. 

“I’m gonna be a dad,” he says. 

“You are, aren’t you?” 

“I’m gonna be a dad.” Beomgyu rolls his eyes and kisses the prince, running his fingers over the bite on the nape of his neck. 

“We’re gonna be dads,” he says. Taehyun nods and when he pulls away, Beomgyu can see his eyes welling with tears.

“You have a baby in your belly,” he says softly. He moves to get down on his knees between the older boy’s legs and presses his ear to Beomgyu’s stomach. It earns him a flick to the forehead. 

“You can’t hear anything yet, doofus,” he says. Taehyun grins up at him and it’s his open-mouthed one, his eyes sparkling like they hold countless galaxies within their depths. 

“I can’t wait to feel the first kick,” he says softly. “And all of the little heartbeats that go _ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump_ , and how they act when-”

“Are you saying I’m having more than one or just using a gender-neutral term?” 

“I don’t know.” Beomgyu laughs and kisses his forehead, smiling down at the Alpha. Taehyun is so-

“Prince- what’s going on?” The two boys look over as a guard bursts through the door, her eyes widening. 

“Wait, don’t-” Taehyun says, standing up and trying to stop her, but she’s already calling for reinforcements. 

“Beomgyu, go home!” Taehyun says. The Omega gets up but, before he can go any further, someone yanks him back. Beomgyu cries out in surprise and curls in on himself, covering his head. He can hear Taehyun growling angrily as they’re attacked, his eyes turning red. Beomgyu isn’t thinking correctly and all he knows to do is to cover his stomach as he’s beat, whining. Someone hits his eye and Beomgyu knows it isn’t gonna look pretty later, and that it’s probably gonna start bleeding from the metal boots. He can see Taehyun from the corner of his eye and he looks up, only to receive a blow to the back of his head that knocks him out. 

Beomgyu wakes up in a cell with a sickening feeling in his stomach. He looks over and sees Taehyun across from him, but he’s too tired and sluggish to do anything. His mate, however, senses his consciousness and looks over, eyes widening. 

“Angel?” he says softly. Beomgyu hums, rubbing his stomach. He hopes the babies are alright. 

“Angel, can you answer me?” Taehyun says. Beomgyu hums again. His left eye is swollen and there’s a cut placed above it, dried blood around the edges. He looks over his body and finds countless bruises, though Beomgyu supposes it could be worse. He turns onto his side to face away from Taehyun, wishing none of this had ever happened. Maybe his father was right. 

Yeonjun brings a wet cloth in for him when he comes back. Beomgyu is thankful when Taehyun tosses it to him and he can soothe the throbbing of his eye along with cleaning off the caked blood. He’s pretty sure Taehyun wants to say something but decides against it, instead staying silent. If Beomgyu was in a better mindset, he thinks he’d be telling the Alpha how much he loves him. Unfortunately for the both of them, he isn’t. 

Taehyun begins speaking the next time Yeonjun leaves. 

“I love you,” he says, trying to keep it between them. But they can’t ignore how the other prisoners are very obviously listening, interested in the couple. “I hope you know it isn’t your fault.” Beomgyu shrugs, sighing. For once in his life, he doesn’t feel like talking.

“It’s okay if you’re mad at me,” Taehyun goes on to say. “I know I should’ve been more careful.” 

“It’s not your fault,” he says raspily. “I just don’t feel like talking right now.” 

“Okay.” Beomgyu can see Taehyun’s puppy eyes staring at him sadly, but he can’t make himself turn around. He’s sure the Alpha can sense his distress over it and maybe he thinks Beomgyu’s mad at him because the Omega is disappointed in himself. He should’ve been more careful, should’ve found something to lower the probability. 

They sit in silence for a few hours. The cell is cold and damp and Beomgyu’s dress, which, mind you, is already torn, does little to nothing to protect him from the cold. Beomgyu doesn’t bat an eye when he hears Yeonjun being brought back, keeping his eyes on the wall. 

“Hyun, Gyu, I brought food,” the eldest says. Beomgyu is still unresponsive.

“What do you want?” Taehyun asks quietly. Beomgyu shrugs and rubs his stomach. He turns around when he hears a whine, finding a sagging bag of food being held out to him. Taehyun has only a slice of bread. 

“Hyunnie . . .” he says. His Alpha looks at him with sad, pleading eyes. “Taehyun, I don’t need this much.”

“You haven’t been eating enough.” Beomgyu shrugs. 

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t. Don’t lie to me, Jagiya.” He can feel how distraught his refusal to eat is making Taehyun. It makes his stomach curl and his instincts scream for him to eat or to take it to please the other boy, but another thought occurs. 

“I’m going to die anyway!” he says, turning around. He grabs the bars of his prison, his knuckles whitening. “I’ll give birth and they’ll take my pup. Or maybe they’ll kill me before I even start showing.” Gods, he’s ramabling so much. “Maybe they’ll let me starve here and force me to give birth to a sick baby before sening me to a brothel.” His voice climbs in pitch as he remembers Dae-Jung’s face. “I’ll be just like Appa, just like Appa who got pregnant, but I won’t get to keep my pup. And I’ll never- I’ll never see my mate again but he’ll be alive and I’ll be- Taehyun, Taehyun, I’m going to _die_.” Panic is rising up, fogging his mind as his voice gets higher. “I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die.” He feels tears rolling down his cheeks as he shakes the bars, staring at the boy across from him. “Get me out of here, Taehyun! Get me out!” He can’t stop rambling, his mind all over the place as it’s scattered by the overwhelming feeling of fear. He feels hazy and disconnected and he can see his Alpha hurling himself at the bars, his teeth grit together. His screaming is drawing the guards down as Taehyun demands that they’re put together. Beomgyu can hear his mate growling, slowly shifting. His eyes glow red as he slams himself against the bars, shaking the cell. He pants as he continues his attempts. 

“Someone stop him before he brings the entire prison down!” someone says. The entire place is shaking, bits of debris landing around Beomgyu. He faintly registers how Taehyun’s tugging one of the bars out of place, his teeth making a horrible scraping sound as they drag over the iron. 

“Shut up!” someone, presumably a guard, yells at Beomgyu. He screams louder and Taehyun jerks his head back, removing a good chunk from his prison. It’s still too small for him to fit through, though that doesn’t impede the Alpha at all. 

“Someone get in there and stop him!” The door is unlocked to Taehyun’s prison and the wolf lunges, sinking his teeth into the soldier’s neck. His brown fur is darkened by the sanguine liquid dripping from the body and the other guards are quick to surge forward, bravely (or maybe stupidly?) attempting to subdue the canine. 

“Give him to Beomgyu!” someone, probably Yeonjun, screams. “Give him to Beomgyu!” The younger Omega screams and rocks back and forth, trying to voice his agreement. “He’s trying to help Beomgyu!” They finally realize that the oldest prince is helping and Beomgyu’s door is opened. Taehyun dashes in, turning back as he crouches down and wraps his arms around Beomgyu. There’s blood on his lips, chin, and teeth, but neither of them care. Beomgyu stops screaming as he inhales more of the comforting scent of smoked lemongrass and ginger, though he keeps gasping for breath. Taehyun is running his fingers through his hair, humming softly. Taehyun combs his fingers through his hair, rocking them back and forth as Beomgyu calms down. He feels tired, like keeping his eyes open is a chore. 

“Go to sleep, angel,” he says softly. “You’re safe.” 

When he wakes up, Beomgyu is very sure he’s anything but safe. There’s a guard opening the door and Taehyun is sleeping. Beomgyu shields his Alpha and bares his teeth, snarling. But he’s yanked away from the other boy and held down as Taehyun is woken up and dragged to a wall. He looks disoriented as he blinks and shakes his head, frowning. 

“What- where?” he says. Someone holds his wrists down and Beomgyu realizes what’s happening as he begins to struggle against the guards. 

“Let him go!” he screams. Taehyun frowns and shakes the sleep out of his eyes as he’s chained to the wall and his shirt is ripped off. Beomgyu’s eye catches on the whip and his heart leaps into his throat. “Let him go, please!” Beomgyu begs. 

The whip comes down for the first time, yanking a scream from Taehyun’s throat. Beomgyu struggles as he begins to cry. 

“Please, please, let him go!” Yeonjun is waking up. 

“Stop! Stop, that’s Taehyun! He’s one of the princes! That’s my brother, stop!” he screams. Beomgyu would tell him how it doesn’t mean anything but Taehyun’s howling as he’s beat. Beomgyu can feel himself shifting as his words bleed into growls. 

“He’s shifting!” Yeonjun says. Beomgyu growls at the guard closest to him and watches as the rest stumble back. He attacks the one holding him down and snaps the victim’s neck. Taehyun is panting heavily as the door slams shut, Beomgyu pacing in front of him. He licks his lips, the taste of blood sharp in his mouth. He can see Yeonjun staring at him with wide eyes as he curls up at his mate’s feet, keeping his eyes lidded to snarl at any approaching guards. 

They don’t get a lot of food. It’s worse after Yeonjun leaves. Beomgyu will feed Taehyun what he can, licking his wounds to clean them. Taehyun is usually half-passed out and Beomgyu tries to keep the cuts on his chest as clean as he can, but his fever is a clear telling of infection. Beomgyu just feeds him as much as he can, nibbling on the bits of mystery meat thrown his way. It’s better than nothing he supposes. 

Late at night, Beomgyu catches a new scent. A guard is making a round through the prison, but they’re a newbie. Beomgyu sits up, his ears pointed as he watches. A tall, tall boy walks by and there’s the sound of something falling to the ground, though Beomgyu guesses he didn’t hear it. Curious, he moves forward until he sees a small ring of keys with a piece of parchment wrapped around it. Beomgyu shifts back to read it, using the faint light of the torch and his advanced vision to read it. 

_After your first morning meal, use the keys to escape._ _  
__-Soobin_

Beomgyu cranes his neck to try and catch a final glimpse of the Alpha, frowning. He shoves the note in his mouth and chews slowly, frown deepening at the taste. Beomgyu slowly shifts back and pads over to lie at Taehyun’s feet, keeping the keys beneath his tongue. He closes his eyes and tries to go to sleep. 

As instructed, Beomgyu doesn’t use the keys until after he and Taehyun have eaten. He shifts back and stands up, knees wobbly and hands shaky, then unlocks the cuffs around his mate’s hands. Taehyun falls with a groan and Beomgyu puts him on his back, holding the key between his teeth. He leans against the wall as he unlocks the door, shifting to go faster. He growls softly to alert the younger boy, looking over his shoulder. Taehyun holds his fur loosely, fingers woven through the strands. Beomgyu begins walking out, stopping when he sees the White Rabbit. Beomgyu can hear the commotion outside and he flicks his ears, looking over his shoulder. The Rabbit picks Taehyun up- well, he _tries_ to, but Beomgyu snarls and backs away. 

“I’m here to help,” a voice under the mask says. Beomgyu follows as he picks the Alpha up and climbs onto a horse, letting Taehyun rest on his back. It takes off and Beomgyu runs as fast as he can, spotting Yeonjun on one horse with his arms looped around a man with a dragon skull on his head, his wedding dress everywhere. Soobin is riding nearby, along with the Nine-Tailed Fox. They have a good lead on the guards chasing them, close to the walls surrounding the city. 

The horses are released and everyone dismounts. Soobin looks at the sky. 

“Kai!” he yells. The Beta appears, carrying a few bags. 

“What?” 

“We were wondering where you were.” Hueningkai shrugs, then looks up. 

“When are the dragons coming, Hyung?” he says to the guy, presumably Ilsan’s Dragon, wearing the skull. The man looks over at him. 

“They should be here by now,” he says, tapping his toe and watching the approaching troops. “If they don’t hurry up, we're dead.” 

“Break the necklace,” Soobin says without any prior context. Beomgyu tilts his head and Yeonjun frowns. 

“What?” 

“The necklace. Break it.” The oldest prince seems suspicious as he undoes the chain and drops it on the ground, stomping it. A strong breeze pushes through and a dragon appears, long and serpentine. It’s a water spirit from the east, so Beomgyu doesn’t understand why it’s bowing its head.

Beomgyu shifts back, sitting behind Taehyun. He holds his Alpha and keeps them both anchored to the dragon, squinting in the wind. Taehyun is still slumped forward. 

They reach the Deep Forest and the dragon leaves. Everyone with a mask removes it, Beomgyu recognizing Jimin and someone he thinks is the imperial general. The third man is the one he bumped into at the marketplace. 

“Are we setting up camp here?” Soobin says to the tallest of the three animal-dressed men. He shakes his head. 

“We already set up. Not here, but it’s close. Kai, can you track it?” Hueningkai nods and holds his hand out, a small burst of sparks puffing up. If he wasn’t as tired, Beomgyu would demand an explanation. 

“Show us the campsite.” The spark happily obeys, bouncing along. Beomgyu thinks he can hear Yeonjun and Soobin talking, but he doesn’t pay them any attention. 

“Don’t worry, Hyung, we’re almost there,” Hueningkai says over his shoulder. Beomgyu thinks it was directed at Yeonjun. 

They reach a clearing and Beomgyu heads to a tent that doesn’t smell like anyone. He and Taehyun head inside and Beomgyu closes his eyes and goes to sleep. 

The next few days pass in a blur. It isn’t long before Beomgyu meets Prince Seokjin for the first time, though he ends up saying goodbye after a few weeks. Jimin and Jeongguk are back in Dragon City and that leaves Yeonjun, Soobin, Hueningkai, Taehyun, and Beomgyu in their little camp. Well. He’d say that’s pretty rewritten, right?

**Author's Note:**

> luv u uwu. Also, watched a few videos of yeonbin- they are /that/ couple omg why


End file.
